to eternity
by rumiberri
Summary: Homura, Madoka, and the process of letting go. [Super AU!][Homura-centric]
1. Chapter 1

**"...I**'m so sorry, Homura-chan, because of the nature of your wish, the strings of fate have tied us together so tightly...I can't change your wish without changing my own..."

They both know what she means, and they both know her mind is already made up; there is no option of turning back.

"...Then take me with you, Madoka."

Hesitance as a spark of happiness is quickly pushed down; she's a Goddess now, she can't be selfish.

"...Are you sure, Homura-chan? I..."

Hands reach over to cover her own.

"You said that you've seen everything—all the timelines and lifetimes I have been through. Do you think I would even let you disappear without me, Madoka?"

She smiles to herself, already knowing the answer, yet hearing it said brings tears to her eyes all the same.

"...Thank you, Homura-chan... For everything that you have done..."

Hands grip her tighter and she's gifted with the rare sight of Homura smiling.

"Let's go, Madoka. To wherever you need to be."

"Mm... let's go Homura-chan. To our new home."

A flash of light, and then they are gone.

/

"Homura-chan~ I'm back."

Slim fingers slip a bookmark through the pages as lavender eyes peering through red rimmed glasses glance up.

"Welcome back, Madoka."

"Mm," Madoka makes a noncommittal noise, quickly moving to join her at the small table in the middle of the room, the ends of her white gown trailing in after her.

"Would you like some tea?" Homura asks even as she places her book down, already moving to stand.

"That's okay," Madoka tells her, waving her off. "I can get it myself.." She makes no effort to do so however, and places her head onto the table. "Maybe after I rest for a bit..."

"Mmhmm," Homura replies.

Without missing a beat, she continues her walk to the kitchen located in the back of their room.

With her eyes closed, Madoka can hear the gentle tinkling of dishware as Homura putters about. A content smile washes over her face.

She's half asleep when she hears something placed besides her head. Eyes open to stare at a steaming cup of tea and a giant slice of strawberry cake.

Childish excitement manages to push away her weariness, and Madoka sits up with a small grin as she reaches for the fork.

"Itadakimasu!" she says, fork moving to cut into the cake.

Her eyes close as she savors the first bite.

"Mmm...you've gotten a lot better, Homura-chan. I think your skills are up to par with Mami-san's now," she mumbles, eyes opening to continue to shovel the sweet dessert into her mouth.

Homura shrugs lightly, letting the compliment bounce off her. "I have had plenty of time to learn."

She watches as Madoka all but inhales her cake.

Homura's hand reaches for her novel with slight hesitance. "There's more, if you'd like?"

Madoka licks her fork clean once she's finished with the last piece.

She shakes her head. "No, that's okay. You can send it over to the kitchens for the others to try."

"...Are you sure?" Homura asks, tilting her head slightly. She knows that strawberry is Madoka's favourite.

"Mmhmm," Madoka agrees as she finally reaches for her tea to take a sip. "You're making something else, aren't you?" she asks, grinning widely. "Smells like chocolate... maybe toffee..."

"...Yes."

"Need to save room for that. It's—"

They both feel it, the tug from far and beyond. Madoka quickly sets her cup down.

"Save me a slice, okay?" Madoka reminds her as she rises to her feet.

"Of course."

"I'll be back, Homura-chan."

"Have a safe trip, Madoka."

Homura watches as Madoka vanishes into nothing, and like always, her heart clenches slightly. She slowly relaxes, reminding herself that Madoka will be back soon.

She thumbs open her book, fingers gently brushing against the red ribbon that lays across the middle, before her eyes search for where she had left off.

/

"...Homura-chan?"

"Yes, Madoka?" she glances up from her book, a different one this time, and can see Madoka is fidgeting with the dishware on the table.

Goddess or not, she still had habits of 'Kaname Madoka' and Homura can see and feel the hesitance coming off of her in waves.

Something she hasn't seen in a while. "...What's wrong?"

"Mm... It's just..." Madoka shakes her head and the nervousness disappears. "...Are you really happy here, Homura-chan?"

The book is gently lowered to the table, red ribbon marking her place, before she closes it with a snap. It's a question she has heard before—many times in fact, but it has been a while since the last.

Her brows furrow lightly. "...Did you visit them again?"

Madoka flinches, ever so slightly, but Homura sees it because she sees everything about Madoka.

She readjusts her glasses, sighing softly. "Madoka... of course I'm happy here."

"But..." Madoka glances up, blinking when there's a finger suddenly pressed against her lips.

Homura is half out of her seat, arm extended as she frowns.

"No buts," Homura tells her. "I am happy here because Madoka is here. Wherever you are, is where I want to be; to be able to stay with you for eternity is more than a wish come true."

She gently removes her finger and sits back down.

Despite all her knowledge and the fact that she's supposed to be a Goddess, Madoka feels something warm bubble in her chest. She finds herself unable to stop the blush on her cheeks.

"...Homura-chan really says some embarrassing things sometimes," she mumbles.

Reaching for her book, Homura glances at her, and nods. "Because Madoka is stubborn and won't believe me unless I say things like that."

Madoka looks at her, and suddenly there's a smile on her face as she laughs lightly. "Homura-chan... you're too cute sometimes."

Madoka grins wider when she notices Homura deliberately holding the book too close to her face; she can still see the red on the tips of Homura's ears however.

"Homura-chan?"

"Hm..."

"I—"

There is it again and Madoka barely holds back her pout. "I'll tell you later."

"...Have a safe trip, Madoka."

"Mm... I'll be back, Homura-chan."

The room always feels empty when Madoka leaves, and Homura stares at the now vacant spot for a while longer, before finally lowering her novel.

"Madoka... are you happy?"

Her quiet question is left unanswered as the walls whisper nothing around her.

\\

When she glides through the doorway of their room, her greeting dies on her lips as she notices the sleeping figure curled next to the table. A discarded novel lays at her side, dark black hair pooled around her; a sharp contrast against her white dress.

Her expression is peaceful as she sleeps.

Once Madoka settles in next to her, she gently brushes her fingers across her cheeks and forehead. Red rimmed glasses are plucked off for better access, and the reaction is almost instant. Lavender eyes flutter open, unfocused as she peers up in confusion.

"Morning, Homura-chan," Madoka tells her, voice almost teasing.

The stare lasts for a whole minute, neither side relenting, before Homura blinks as she finally remembers.

She sits up quickly, Madoka moving to accommodate her as she tries to locate her glasses.

"Here, Homura-chan." The familiar glasses are slipped back into place, and her eyes quickly adjust to the thick lenses.

"When did you get back?" Homura asks as she struggles to clear the sleepiness from her mind.

"Mm, just a little bit ago."

Homura nods even though Madoka can see that she's still trying to catch up.

"Would you like some tea?" Homura mumbles softly.

Madoka smiles. She always did like catching Homura off-guard. It was the only time the real Homura, the one that she had met so many timelines ago, would finally show herself.

"Actually, a nap doesn't sound too bad."

Homura nods. "I already made the beds, so—"

"Nope," Madoka tells her as she moves closer to slip her arms around Homura's thin waist. "A nap right here sounds good."

Before Homura can protest, Madoka pulls her down, the both of them sharing the one pillow that Homura had occupied earlier.

"M-Madoka...?"

The nervousness in Homura's voice makes Madoka hold her tighter. "Hmmm?"

"..."

Madoka shifts lightly, making herself comfortable. She sighs softly as her eyes close.

"Madoka...?"

"Hmmm?"

"...Welcome back."

"I'm back, Homura-chan."

/

"Ahh, a place with anything we can ask for, yet why am I not surprised to see you off by your lonesome self?"

A brief glance is her only acknowledgement, before she reaches over and turns the page.

"Hey heyyy, I went through all the trouble of trying to find you and this is how you greet me?"

"...Miki Sayaka."

"Yo!" she gives her a playful salute and a wink, which Homura promptly ignores, earning her an exasperated sigh. "Even after all this time, still the same old anti-social transfer student. You'd think spending eternity with Madoka would loosen you up a bit..."

She flips the page again. "...Did you need something, Miki Sayaka."

"Heyyy now," her voice sounds a lot closer, "after so long, I think it's about time we started calling each other more informally, don't you think? You can call me 'Sayaka-chan.'"

"..."

"And I'll call you 'Homura-chan.'"

"...Please don't."

Sayaka grins and takes a seat across from her at the table. "Really? But it kind of suits you, don't you think? Shy and clumsy Homura-chan... those glasses of yours just reminded me how you used to be. Where's that adorable Homura-chan, hm? Did the scary Homura hide her somewhere?"

The book is snapped shut, and placed onto the floor. "...Would you like some tea?"

Sayaka blinks at her in surprise. She shrugs. "Sure."

"There's cake as well," Homura informs her as she stands.

"Did Homura-chan take a page from Mami-san?" Sayaka smirks, leaning back against her arms.

Homura hesitates. "...It reminds Madoka of home."

"Ah..." Sayaka watches her thoughtfully as Homura expertly maneuvers over to the kitchen.

In a few minutes, a cup of tea and a slice of carrot cake is slipped in front of her.

"Thanks."

Homura nods and reclaims her usual seat.

"This is pretty good," Sayaka tells her after she takes a few bites. "Is there someone here in charge of the food? How does that even work here?"

"There's a master kitchen that everyone has access to though you can request a kitchen for your own room, if you prefer. Meals are taken whenever, but most of the girls here tend to follow a set schedule. You'll have to ask Madoka about that."

"Huh," Sayaka says, hands reaching for her tea. "Why am I not surprised you still don't play nice with the others?"

She takes a sip before turning back to her cake.

Homura shifts her shoulders slightly in a half shrug. "I have no reason to communicate with anyone else."

Sayaka points a fork at her, immediately pulling it back when she notices a piece of cream on it falling off. "Whoops. Tissue, tissue."

Homura watches as she cleans her mess, pushing the used napkins to the side once she's done.

"Anyways, as I was saying, you should be more friendly, you know? Spending an eternity by yourself doesn't really sound like fun. Aren't you already tired of being alone?"

Homura merely gathers her book back into her hands, and thumbs through to her last marked page. "I am not spending it by myself," as Sayaka opens her mouth to refute that claim, Homura continues, "I remain here because I am waiting."

"...Waiting? For what?"

"For Madoka to return from wherever she has gone to."

Sayaka slowly lowers her fork back onto the plate. "...How is she, anyways?"

"Hm?" Homura keeps her attention on the book, eyes glancing to Sayaka briefly.

"I mean... She's... It's been..." Sayaka's shoulders droop, and she places her hands onto the table. "...I can't believe I forgot her."

Lavender eyes flicker to her direction. "...It was her wish."

"She was.. IS my best friend. To forget she ever existed..." Hands tighten into fists.

"Mm... Once again, it was her wish. Her existence had to be erased as she became the embodiment of hope. Not even her family remembers her."

Takkun was slowly growing up and losing his memories as well.

Sayaka slams her fist into the table. If it wasn't magical, it would've shattered under her strength.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she demands.

"No."

Homura's bluntness has the anger in Sayaka deflating quickly. She sighs. "You... You're still the same. Which means that Madoka is probably the same—even under all that."

Homura nods. "She is the same, yet at the same time, not. It happens to anyone who experiences eternity."

Sayaka finishes her cake quietly, and Homura returns to her book.

"Hey, you never did answer."

"Hm."

"Who baked this cake?"

"...You never asked that."

Sayaka sighs. "Well, I'm asking now. She could probably give Mami-san a run for her money. If... no, I guess, when Mami-san gets here, it'd be interesting to pit the two of them together."

Homura flips the page slowly. "...I have no interest in participating in a battle against Tomoe Mami."

"Eh?" Sayaka takes a sip of her tea as Homura's words fly over her head. It takes a moment, before her eyes widen and she spits out a mouthful of liquid onto the table. "Since when could you bake!? I remember you burning water!"

Homura calmly places her book down and starts wiping the mess with napkins pulled from nowhere. "Time is limitless here, Miki Sayaka. Mastering anything is easy when there is no beginning, and no end."

"Huh..." Sayaka appears thoughtful as the table sparkles clean once more.

"Homura-chan~ I'm back~" a familiar voice calls out.

As Madoka steps through the doorway, her eyes are immediately drawn to Sayaka.

She offers her childhood friend a smile. "Sayaka-chan! So you managed to find her."

"H-Hey, Madoka," Sayaka waves awkwardly, still not used to the taller and more adult-like Madoka that stares back at her. She had noticed earlier that she's now as tall as her, though still not as filled out.

"Did Homura-chan offer you cake?" Madoka asks as she takes a seat at the table, immediately noticing the plate. "She makes the best, don't you think? Maybe better than Mami-san, though I guess you would know if that was actually true or not?"

"Welcome back, Madoka," Homura greets her. "I'll get you your tea and cake."

"Thank you, Homura-chan," Madoka tells her with an affectionate smile. She turns back to face Sayaka. "Have you had a chance to look around, Sayaka-chan? I hope you like how I decorated your room... I wasn't sure if you'd prefer it to look like the one you had at home or to change it up a bit. Just tell me if there's anything you need, and I'll fix it."

"Ah," Sayaka scratches her head nervously. "It's alright. I mean—I like it! A lot. Y-Yeah..."

Madoka stares, expression curious. Her attention is temporarily diverted as Homura places a cup and a slice of carrot cake in front of her.

"Thank you, Homura-chan," Madoka murmurs, before she turns back to Sayaka. "Sayaka-chan?"

"Eh? Ah?" Sayaka looks like a deer caught in headlights.

Madoka frowns. "...I'm still the same, Sayaka-chan. You don't have to be so nervous around me."

Homura nods wisely, once again seated as she takes a sip of her own cup of tea. "Yes, the same Madoka is still there, the one that sometimes trips over her too long gown, or the one—"

"Ahh!" Madoka quickly gets up from her seat, finger pointing at Homura. "Homura-chan is being mean! You promised you'd never mention that to Sayaka-chan and the others!"

Homura places her cup down onto the table with a light clatter. "Mm... I never remember promising such a thing Madoka. I only agreed that I would try not to mention it."

Madoka shakes her head vehemently. "Nope! You definitely promised! I remember!"

This time Homura frowns at her. "...I did no such thing. There you go again, misusing your powers—"

"Hmph," Madoka turns away from her, sitting to start on her cake. "I don't need to use my powers to remember that, Homura-chan."

"Madoka—"

Their argument is interrupted as Sayaka finds herself laughing at their exchange.

"Y-You definitely are the same Madoka," Sayaka grins, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And Homura... you've changed. You've gotten softer."

Homura looks away as Madoka throws Sayaka a smile; she's glad to see that Sayaka is finally relaxing in front of her.

"Welcome home, Sayaka-chan," she tells her warmly.

"I'm home, Madoka!"

\\

"Huh... nice place you got here."

From her position on the floor, Homura first notices a set of familiar red boots. Her eyes continue up, past the red magical uniform and finally landing to the owner's face.

"...Sakura Kyouko." The surprise is evident in her voice and Homura sits up, placing her book next to her as she regards the girl carefully. "I would've thought you to be the last of the group to arrive..."

Kyouko easily clears the distance between them and with a grin, she grabs Homura in a headlock and immediately musses up her hair.

"W-What are—S-Sakura Kyouko!"

Homura suddenly finds herself able to breathe again as Kyouko lets go, dropping into the seat next to her.

Lavender eyes watch her warily as she fixes her glasses back into place. Once that is done, her hands start working on her hair.

Kyouko grins. "You know, I always thought you'd be the last to go."

Homura blinks, hands lowering to rest in her lap.

"You always had that mysterious air about you, you know? You were weak at first, but there was something about you... Like you could take on the world and still fight no matter how hard things got..." Kyouko shakes her head. "Imagine our surprise when we learned you were the first to be taken away by the cycles... Idiot."

Not quite sure how to react, Homura remains staring.

She remembers Madoka mentioning how she existed in the new world as well, but she has no clear memories of that.

Kyouko places her arms onto the table and rests her chin in her hands.

"...And now that I'm here, I finally remember everything..." Kyouko sighs. "I always did believe there was a Heaven...but," she glances around, "I assumed it'd be unobtainable after... everything."

Homura nods.

"Anyways," that familiar fanged grin locks back into place. "Someone told me there's delicious cake waiting for me if I find you, and since this is Heaven it better be the best I have ever tasted!"

"... You are the same as ever, Sakura Kyouko..."

"Nope!" Kyouko shakes her head. "No full names here in Heaven, Homura. Kyouko is fine."

"..." Homura ignores her request, standing to retrieve the tea and cake.

"Hurry up, Homura!" Kyouko calls out as she watches her walk to the kitchen. "I'm starving here! I just might turn into skin and bones waiting for you."

Homura sighs to herself, reluctantly moving a little bit faster.

Soon, a steaming cup of tea is placed in front of Kyouko, who promptly ignores it as she dives into the slice of creme brulee cheesecake. She devours it within a few minutes, immediately shoving the empty plate at Homura once she's done.

"More."

She polishes off half the cake by herself. Homura knows she can keep eating, and she's slightly surprised at the constraint as Kyouko finally stops, and pats her stomach in satisfaction.

"I take it it was to your liking?" Homura asks as she looks up from her novel.

"Yeah, pretty good. Guess I won't be missing Mami's cakes for a while if this is what you have to offer here," Kyouko tells her with a grin. "Did you make that yourself?"

"Mmhmm," Homura nods.

Kyouko smirks and leans forward. "You know, I had this really good apple cake once... Mami could never get close to what I remember even though her cakes were still really good. You think you could give it a shot?"

Homura glances at her briefly. "...If you remember how it looks and can describe the taste, I can try."

Kyouko blinks in surprise. "Seriously?" She laughs to herself. "You've... you've changed, eh, Homura? I think this place has been good on you."

Homura doesn't reply, attention turned back to her book.

"Hey."

"...yes?"

"...Sorry, for everything."

She lowers her book. "...What are you apologizing for?"

Kyouko leans back against her arms to stare up at the night sky that serves as the ceiling. "You know, you're supposed to repent for all your sins and stuff before they let you into heaven. But... I didn't even remember what I did... until I came here." Kyouko shakes her head. "You've... faced a lot of challenges, you know? And I never did once make it easy on you. So, I'm sorry for that."

"Hm." Homura turns back to her book. Her fingers brush against the red ribbon and she pauses. "...There's no need for you to apologize, I myself have—"

Kyouko lowers herself onto the floor, her loud sigh interrupting whatever Homura was about to say. "Whatever, things like that don't really matter now, do they? You forgive me, I forgive you. It's all the same. We're already in Heaven, right?"

Homura nods even though she knows Kyouko is no longer looking at her.

"Yeah..." she agrees softly. "Heaven..."

/

"...Homura-chan?"

She lowers her book, immediately looking up. "Welcome back, Madoka."

"...I'm back," Madoka tells her.

Homura stares at her curiously, watching as Madoka makes her way into the room, arms behind her as she hides something.

Homura slips her bookmark into the pages, and shuts the book before placing it aside. She completely diverts her full attention to Madoka, who takes a seat with her arms still hidden.

She waits patiently for her explanation, and knows it has something to do with the sadness that Madoka is also trying her best to hide.

"...I saw Mami-san earlier."

That means that the blonde will be visiting here soon... but, that also meant...

"...Takkun's gotten so big now."

That Madoka visited her family.

"...How are they doing?" Homura asks.

Madoka gives her a watery smile. "Very good. Mama and Papa look the same as always and they're still getting along great."

Homura nods and places her hands in her lap. "Madoka—"

"And then," Madoka interrupts her as she finally reveals what she has hidden.

A bottle of alcohol is placed atop the table and Homura stares at it blankly.

"Mm. I made a promise with Mama that I would drink with her when I turned 20," Madoka explains.

Two empty glasses are suddenly besides the now opened bottle.

Madoka gives her a smile. "Drink with me, Homura-chan?"

Though her appearance has never changed ever since making her wish, Homura knows she has lived a long time, and has since passed the age limit.

She nods lightly.

She has never had alcohol before, and watches with interest as Madoka pours the amber liquid into the cups, filling them halfway, adding a few ice cubes after.

"Mama always drinks this at home," Madoka tells her as she pushes a cup towards Homura.

She can smell the strong waft of alcohol and it makes her nose twitch, but she obediently gathers the cool glass in her hand and holds it up.

"Cheers," Madoka smiles.

They clink their glasses together.

Tentative sips and Homura hides her disgust a lot better than Madoka.

"Nn..." Madoka shudders at the taste. "How is it, Homura-chan?"

"...Bitter."

Madoka nods, lowering the glass onto the table. "...I wonder why Mama likes drinking this so much...? She said this is how adults cope, because the older you get, the harder it is to bounce back from things..."

She knows why, but she still doesn't quite understand.

"Mm..." Homura takes another sip, this time keeping the liquid in her mouth as she swishes it around, trying to acclimate to the bitterness.

She now knows to expect the burn of the alcohol as it slides down her throat, and blinks when she tastes a hint of plum in the aftertaste.

"Do you like it, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks her curiously.

"...It's interesting," Homura replies, watching as Madoka peers into the cup.

Just as she's about to take another gulp, Homura places a gentle hand on hers.

"Take a small sip, and keep it in your mouth for a little while before swallowing slowly."

"Mmm..." Madoka follows as directed.

She makes another face when the liquid goes down, but she's surprised when her tongue hits that taste of plum.

"Huh..."

Homura stares down at her cup, expression thoughtful. "...I think, adults must like alcohol so much because it reminds them of the things they experience in their daily lives... Like alcohol, life is very bitter, and day by day, their complaints, their shortcomings must be swallowed. But, maybe if they stop and drink a little bit slower, they're able to appreciate things they may not see hidden in the background..."

She looks up to see Madoka giving her a fond smile. She blushes, eyes suddenly concentrated on her cup.

"...That sounds like a good reason, Homura-chan," Madoka says softly.

Homura nods, and takes another sip. The alcohol makes her stomach warm, and she glances over to see that Madoka has already stopped drinking.

Madoka catches her gaze and gives her a sheepish smile. "I think it'll take a while to get used to... you can keep drinking if you want to, Homura-chan."

Homura shakes her head and places the glass down. "Madoka."

"Hmm?"

"...Are you happy?"

Golden eyes turn to her. She can only blink as she sees the kindness in them.

"...If I told you I wasn't, what would you do, Homura-chan?"

Homura stares, face serious. "I'd do anything to make you happy, Madoka."

"Mm..." Madoka closes her eyes, smile still on her lips. "But what can you do, Homura-chan? You still have your magic, but you can no longer go back in time." Eyes open and she finds Homura watching her closely. "The only one who really has power here is me, Homura-chan... You'd have to go against me to do anything."

She can see the internal debate in Homura's eyes, the way her body tenses as she tries to strengthen her resolve.

Madoka isn't afraid, however, and she merely moves over from her seat until she's sitting right in front of Homura.

"Homura-chan...?"

"...?"

"...You'd do anything to make me happy...?"

A nod.

"Really...?"

"Of course."

"Mm..." Madoka glances down briefly and leans in closer. "Anything...?" her voice is soft and if it wasn't for the quiet of the room, Homura would need to strain to hear her.

"Y-Yes...?"

"Then... kiss me, Homura-chan..."

Madoka watches as Homura immediately leans back, away from Madoka, face red and eyes wide in shock.

"W-What?" she stammers out.

Madoka pouts at her. "You said you'd do anything, Homura-chan."

Unable to form proper words, Homura merely chokes on air as she continues to stare at Madoka.

"Were you lying, Homura-chan?"

Homura gulps nervously. "I-I was... I mean... t-the... y-your..."

"Homura-chan?" Madoka leans closer.

As Homura scrambles to get away, her hand slips on her book, effectively sending her tumbling onto her back.

Seizing the opportunity, Madoka is straddling her in a split second.

"Homura-chan...?" she peers down at her.

Homura turns her head, scrunching her eyes shut. "Y-Yes, M-M-Madoka?"

"...When I said I saw everything about you... I saw everything," Madoka tells her as she places a gentle hand to Homura's cheek, stroking it softly. "I've been waiting for you to make a move, but you've been content with just being by my side even though I know you want more... Homura-chan...?"

"..."

"...I don't mind if it's Homura-chan..."

Lavender eyes open in surprise, though she shudders when she notices how close Madoka's face really is.

"I'm not moving until you kiss me, Homura-chan."

"..."

"Mm... you're too shy, Homura-chan. I—" Madoka growls—actually growls— when she feels that tug. She throws Homura a glare when she sees her sighing in relief. "...we will continue this when I come back."

And then she's gone.

Homura sits up slowly. She places a shaking hand over her face, pushing her glasses up slightly to rub her eyes.

At most, she had been expecting to fight Madoka, willing to face hell and fire to win.

Out of everything, she did not expect this.

Her face burns.

She's not sure how long she's sitting there, trying to calm her heart, but a familiar voice suddenly interrupts her thoughts. Her head snaps up as Mami walks into the room.

"...I'm sorry for startling you. I've been calling you for a while..." the blonde offers her a hesitant smile and approaches the table. "May I sit here?" she inquires politely.

Homura clears her throat, readjusting her glasses as she tries to compose herself.

She nods. "Y-Yes. I... would you like some tea? There's cake as well..."

Mami gives her a charming smile. "That sounds divine, thank you."

"I-I'll be right back," Homura tells her as she stands to head to the kitchen.

Mami nods and spends the time waiting looking around the room curiously. The alcohol on the table has her wondering, but she decides it's none of her business and disregards it.

Finally calm and more or less back to her normal self, Homura returns, setting the tea and cake in front of Mami. She removes the alcohol from the table, and when she comes back the second time around, her hand is holding another cup of tea.

She settles into her seat, before she sips at her tea calmly.

"Mm..." Mami seems to be enjoying the snack. "This cake is very good. I've never had it before, what is this called?"

"...Fachertorte. It's an European recipe."

"Ah." Mami reaches for her tea. "It pairs really well with this blend. I hate to admit it, but I think you're better at baking than I am..."

Homura shakes her head, and gestures to the many bookshelves lining the walls. "They're just recipes I follow... nothing special."

Mami smiles at her as she takes another sip. "Now, no need to be shy, Akemi-san. I have experience with baking, and I know a good baker when I see one."

Homura remains quiet.

The conversation drops and they enjoy the camaraderie as they drink their tea in silence.

Cup almost empty, Mami sets it down, and gives Homura another smile. "That was delicious, Akemi-san. Thank you."

"Would you like a refill?"

Mami shakes her head. "No, thank you. I plan on heading over to the kitchens soon to help out with the meals."

Homura nods.

"Akemi-san?"

"Yes, Tomoe Mami?"

The familiar naming has Mami smiling lightly. "Perhaps we should discard formalities considering where we are, Homura. You can call me Mami."

Homura glances at her, instantly reminded of Sayaka and Kyouko, and their similar words.

Mami folds her hands onto the table, and clears her throat. "Now, what seems to be bothering you, Homura?"

Homura jumps slightly in panic, but remembers her state of confusion that Mami had walked in on. She shakes her head, not at all wanting to admit her rather embarrassing situation.

"...I'm sure it has something to do with Madoka." Mami knows she has hit the jackpot when Homura visibly flinches. She places a hand to her chin and peers at Homura curiously. "Did the two of you have a fight?"

Homura debates briefly. Did they? No... it wasn't really a fight... She shakes her head again.

"Ah, perhaps I worded it a bit wrong. Did you two have a disagreement?"

Homura pauses, before nodding hesitantly.

"Hmm," Mami taps her chin thoughtfully. "Well, if it's the two of you, I think it'll all work out somehow."

"I'm back~" a familiar voice calls out as a figure rushes into the room.

Homura turns wide eyes towards the entrance.

"Mami-san!" Madoka gives her a smile. "It's good to see you."

Mami nods. "Yes, it's good to see you again, Madoka."

"W-Welcome back, Madoka..." Homura greets her automatically.

Madoka immediately zeroes in her, completely disregarding Mami.

"I'll be right with you, Mami-san," Madoka says distractedly as she approaches Homura who's now staring at her with fear in her eyes. "Homura-chan... don't make that face, please."

Madoka takes a seat in front of her, hand reaching to cup her cheek.

Homura flinches and Madoka's lips tug into a frown. "... I know you want this, Homura-chan."

Homura closes her eyes and shakes her head. She tenses when she feels a weight against her forehead as her glasses are pulled away.

"...Homura-chan? Please open your eyes..."

She hesitantly cracks an eye open, and finds herself staring straight into Madoka's golden ones.

"...You know? I want Homura-chan to be happy too..." Madoka whispers softly. "After all you've been through, all I want is for you to be finally happy. I want you to be selfish, to tell me what will make you happy. Can you do that, Homura-chan...?"

Homura blinks and is surprised to find her vision even more blurred from the tears in her eyes.

"I-I..."

"Hmm?" Madoka gives her an encouraging smile.

"... I want Madoka to be happy..." Homura tells her. She blinks and a tear runs down her cheek.

Madoka reaches up to wipe them dry. "...you know what will make me happy, Homura-chan..."

Homura swallows nervously and more tears appear. "...Your family..."

"...Is doing fine without me."

"Y-You should be there with them..."

"Mm, but who would be with you then, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks as she gently brushes more tears away.

"I..."

"Hmm?"

Homura closes her eyes. "I...want to be with you forever, Madoka..."

"...we're already here, for eternity, Homura-chan..."

Homura nods.

"But are you happy with that?"

Her eyes open and she finds herself trapped in Madoka's piercing stare.

"...are you satisfied that we remain as friends...?"

Homura hesitates and shakes her head. "N-No..." she mumbles.

"What do you want, Homura-chan?"

"I... I don't know..." the confusion is evident in her voice.

Madoka knows this is because for all that Homura has experienced, she's still the same naive and innocent girl on the inside.

"We can just take this one step at a time, Homura-chan."

"O-Okay..."

A pause.

"...Can I kiss you, Homura-chan?"

"..."

"A 'welcome back kiss?'"

"..."

"Homura-chan?"

"...O-okay..."

Madoka smiles to herself. "Okay, I'm going to kiss you now, Homura-chan. Okay?"

"...O-Okay..."

Madoka leans in closer and Homura shuts her eyes as she feels something soft brush against her lips. It lasts only for a brief moment, before the contact is gone.

"See, that wasn't too bad," Madoka tells her as she slowly opens her eyes. "Mm... later on we'll move on to more adult kisses," she grins as Homura blushes. "When you're ready, of course."

Homura stares down into her lap. "Madoka—"

There it is again.

Madoka sighs softly, but brightens as a thought occurs. "Do I get a 'have a safe trip' kiss?"

"W-What?" Homura blinks in surprise, but Madoka merely gives her another chaste kiss on the lips. Her glasses are then slipped back into place.

"Sorry, Homura-chan, we'll practice more later. I'm looking forward to the 'welcome back' kiss though," Madoka tells her with a wink.

She pulls away and disappears.

Homura zones out as she recalls Madoka's soft lips. Her eyes widen as she glances around.

The room is completely empty, and there's no trace of Mami anywhere. She must have left earlier, hopefully before anything had started.

Homura presses her hands against her cheeks, trying to will the embarrassment away.

/

"Hey, Homura?" Pause. "Eh? She's not here?"

Homura peeks out from further inside the kitchen to see Sayaka looking around in confusion.

"...Yes?" her quiet voice still manages to carry across the wide room, and Sayaka looks up.

"Hey, there you are. I don't think I've ever seen you anywhere else but in front of that table," Sayaka states as she strides on over. "What are you making this time?"

"...Pudding," she answers gesturing to the multiple amounts of cups lining the counters.

"Wow..." Sayaka blinks at just how many there are. "Made enough for everyone, eh?"

Homura nods and continues to fill the cups with the pudding mixture. "Did you need something?"

"Eh," Sayaka shrugs.

She takes a few seconds to look around the kitchen. It's the first time she's actually stepped inside and it's a lot bigger than she thought it would be.

"Nothing really, just some of the girls wanted to go to the beach... thought maybe you'd like to come."

"...I see." Homura acknowledges her request, but continues her arduous task of pouring.

"Guess you're a bit busy?" Sayaka asks after a moment.

"Just a bit."

Sayaka sighs. "Alright, I'll tell the others. Well, at least the pudding will make them feel better that they were once again rejected by the Goddess's wife."

There's a pause as Homura barely manages to keep the hold on the pot.

She turns slowly to Sayaka, frown on her lips "...What did you call me?"

Sayaka smirks and places her hands behind her head. "That's what everyone calls you. Have been calling you—even before I came here. 'The Goddess and her loyal subject.' 'The Goddess and her wife.' 'The Goddess and her mysterious lover.' The list is endless."

There's a clank as Homura sets the pot gently onto the stove, careful not to spill the contents.

She places a hand to her forehead. "...What..."

"See what happens when you don't go out?" Sayaka grins as she starts exiting the kitchen. "There's sooo many rumors floating around—don't tell me you didn't expect this? A place with just girls... it's like the perfect place for gossip and rumors to begin."

Homura shakes her head.

"Anyways, I'll tell them the ever diligent wife is too busy preparing dessert for tonight~ So they'll forgive you. See you!"

"W-Wait..."

Sayaka is already gone though, and Homura lowers her head in exasperation.

\\

"Yo~ Homura? Homura?"

Kyouko enters the room, blinking in surprise when she finds it empty. She scratches her head in confusion and if it wasn't for the slip of paper in her pockets, she would just come back later.

She heads towards the kitchen, but finds that empty as well.

"Really? I didn't even think she ever moved from that spot," Kyouko mutters to herself as she exits the kitchen. "Hm... now that I think about it, I've never seen the rest of this room. They gotta sleep somewhere, right?"

A quick check and her eyes immediately spot a door in the far left wall, hidden from view from the middle of the room, but visible from the kitchen.

"Ah ha," Kyouko snaps her fingers and grins to herself. "She's gotta be in there."

As she approaches the door, she frowns and hesitantly places a hand on the handle. "I mean... it's not like she's busy, right? Or... hmmmm... well. I'm pretty sure Madoka isn't here... so they can't be doing anything..."

She shakes her head.

"Whatever."

Without further preamble, she twists the doorknob, muttering in her head that if Homura really wanted privacy she would've locked it, and then she's pushing open the door. She doesn't know what she had been expecting, but she blinks as she stares into a plain hallway that has four doors, two on each side.

"Hmm... Okay. So now I gotta find which one she's behind. Geez, why couldn't you just be baking or something? But then again, that's kind of why I'm here... Ah... Sayaka's right, I talk to myself too much."

The first door she opens is their bedroom—shared, but she's not surprised. There's two beds, one with pink sheets that look untouched, another one with purple sheets and various plushies scattered around. She shrugs and closes the room, not at all interested in the fairly muted decor.

She tries the next door that sits directly across.

It's another plain room, filled with various sets of things, and boxes.

Kyouko closes that door after a quick glance.

The next room has her staring in surprise—it's lined with an assortment of weapons—submachine guns, pistols, and she's pretty sure she recognizes a rocket launcher in there hidden amongst the grenades and bombs. There's also a note on the front, written in pink handwriting that reads: 'Look but do not touch.'

Kyouko is fairly certain these are Homura's collection of weapons she had once used to fight Witches.

"..." She shakes her head and gently closes that door, afraid that anything too loud might set off traps or something.

Which now leaves the last door in the hallway.

"Alright... if you're not here, Homura, I have no idea where you're at," she mutters as she walks over.

Nodding to herself, she twists the handle and pushes it open.

There's a pause as she glances back to the hallway to make sure that yes, she's in the correct place.

She shrugs, and steps inside.

Or, more like outside.

As her boots take her down a cobble stoned path, her head turns to look around at the random fauna lining the large garden. There are Cherry Blossom trees that are in full bloom, orchids and lilies and roses scattered all around. There's also a small lake with a red coloured arch bridge over it; she briefly wonders if there's fish in there. She continues onwards, noticing that there's a hollow 'tock' sound every so often. As she approaches the lake, she realizes the sound is coming from a piece of bamboo that fills with water, before emptying and see-sawing down to hit a large rock nearby.

"Huh... this place... is so..." she pauses as she tries to think of a word. "...old-fashioned?" She nods. "Yeah... weird though, thought Homura loved that giant clock thing in her living room."

She crosses the bridge, her boots clicking on the wooden surface and leading her further in. She continues following the path, and soon, her ears pick up a sound that reminds her of twinkling crystals or glass.

A continuous winding road lined with vibrant green shrubs, and finally, she's close enough that she recognizes the sounds she hadn't been able to place. They remind her of the hymns they had sung in their church.

The path opens up, and she finds herself in a large clearing with Homura right in the middle, sitting in front of a pure white, grand piano.

Whatever song Homura had been practicing echoes away as lavender eyes stare.

Kyouko pauses, wondering if Homura will be angry at her for intruding on a very private place—but to her surprise, Homura merely shifts a few papers around, and then turns her attention to Kyouko.

"...Sakura Kyouko."

"Yo, Homura," Kyouko tells her as she continues in until she's right in front of the piano. "I didn't know you played?"

Homura gives her that shrug again—that one that she always gives whenever someone mentions something about her.

"...Did you need something?" Homura asks in that quiet voice of hers.

Though Homura is looking, Kyouko can tell that she is not really paying attention. She tiptoes slightly to peer over the piano, where she can see that Homura still has her fingers poised atop the keys.

Returning to a relaxed posture, Kyouko nods, before digging through her pockets. A slightly crushed piece of paper is pulled out, which she holds out to Homura.

"What is this?" Homura asks, hands reaching.

Her eyes quickly skim the words and she looks at Kyouko for further clarification.

"Well," Kyouko tells her as she points. "They're orders."

"..."

"This is probably why you haven't been baking much, eh?" Kyouko runs a hand across the smooth surface of the piano. "Anyways, some of the girls, especially the younger ones, have been really sad that the Goddess's wife is no longer making cakes..."

"..." Homura stares at the paper once more, and then back to Kyouko. "Tomoe Mami can fulfill these requests, if I'm not mistaken..."

Kyouko grins. "It's like, with that apple cake I told you about; Mami's baking is good, yeah, but it's not the same. A lot of them are really used to your cakes..."

"...I can give Tomoe Mami the recipes."

Kyouko waggles a finger. "Still not the same. They want to taste the ones you bake. Face it, Homura, you got some fans here."

Homura places the paper down onto the piano, brow furrowing at the list. "...This is more than needed for everyone here."

Kyouko smirks. "I'm surprised you even know how many people are here—I don't think I've seen you out there once."

Her words are accusing, but Homura doesn't rise to the bait. "I generally know how many there are... or Madoka tells me."

"Huhh... anyways, well, the reason why there are so many cakes is—everyone wants to have a party soon."

"...a party," Homura repeats, almost for confirmation.

"Yeah. A party—in heaven. You know, the younger ones... even though this place has like everything, it doesn't have everything, you know? And some of them have a harder time adjusting... We got to talking, and found out that some of them have never had a birthday party, either. Ever."

Homura sighs softly. "I see... and when is this celebration?"

Kyouko grins at how easily she had accepted; she always knew that under Homura's hard exterior was soft jelly. "I'm not sure. Maybe in a few days. Will that be enough time for you to prepare things?"

"...I can make them whenever. I just need a set time."

"Hmm," Kyouko looks at her curiously, wondering how much access Homura still had to her time powers considering everyone kept most of their magic when they came here. It would explain a lot of things. "The sooner, the better."

Homura nods. "Alright... I can finish everything by tomorrow. Is that all?"

Kyouko thinks. "Ah. Right, and... well, we were discussing birthday presents and stuff..."

"I see..."

"And... well..." Kyouko trails off, knowing that this is the hardest part of her assigned task.

"...What is it?"

"...they kind of want you to attend. You and Madoka."

Homura blinks. "...why?"

Kyouko tilts her head back, not at all surprised by the clear skies that hang overhead. "Well... you know how I said you have fans? I really wasn't kidding... You know how Madoka is kinda like, the Ultimate Goddess here? Because of your relationship with her, you are also kinda like, the Ultimate Goddess's...ultimate person... thing."

"..."

"And thennn..." Kyouko continues with a shrug. "To have the two most important people here to attend their celebration, would be the 'Ultimate gift,' or something. I'm not sure, but they really want you two to attend. I think they just want to confirm that you exist."

Homura lightly presses down on a key, frowning. "Madoka... will go. She loves parties... though there's a chance she'll be called away..."

"Yeah," Kyouko nods. "And you?"

Homura closes her eyes, fingers splaying over the white keys. Her hands expertly run through the scales even though she doesn't press hard enough to make a sound.

"I make no guarantees," she eventually tells her as her eyes open.

"Hmm... well, on the day of, I'll be sure to come here to pick you up." Kyouko replies with a grin.

Homura glances at her briefly, knowing that she isn't lying. "Hm."

Kyouko yawns suddenly. "Man, this place is really relaxing. Mind if I take a nap here for a bit? For the travel back?"

Homura hesitates.

"You can play, the sound won't bother me."

"...Alright."

Kyouko throws her another grin. "Cool, thanks, Homura."

Homura ignores her, slipping the small paper from Kyouko safely into her dress pocket, before staring at the sheet music resting atop the music rack.

She closes her eyes briefly, letting the tranquil sounds of the garden wash over her. She opens her eyes and positions her hands to the correct keys.

Kyouko smiles from under one of the nearby trees, easily losing herself to the haunting music that surrounds them as Homura expertly plays.

/

"Thank you very much, Homura," Mami tells her with a smile. "I know I made copies before, but they somehow keep getting lost in the kitchens."

Homura stares, finding half truths in her words, but the fact that Mami still remains in front of her tells her she is also here for another reason.

"Did you need anything else, Tomoe Mami? I need to get back to my preparations, as do you..." her voice trails off.

Mami tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear, the only indication of her nervousness, and gives her another smile.

"Well, I was just wondering how you're doing," she explains. "The few times I have dropped by, unfortunately you weren't in the main room."

And they both know she's polite enough not to wander further in, unlike some people.

"Hm, but," Mami gives her a wider smile, "I can see that my worries were for nothing. You seem happier, Homura. It looks good on you."

Homura blinks as she mulls over Mami's words. Is she happier?

She thinks to Madoka and her usual blank face softens.

She smiles lightly. "...I guess I am."

"Good," Mami nods. "You know, in our original world...I was worried about Madoka and her wish; it was, and still is such a heavy burden... And even though, we're here, and Madoka is a Goddess now... I can't still help but see the same naive girl I took under my wing all those lifetimes ago. But..." she grins this time and winks at Homura. "I'm not sure what it was, but I knew she'd be okay. And now, I understand why."

Homura's brow furrows lightly. "...What do you mean?"

Mami remains smiling that mysterious smile. "I'm glad that there's someone here that Madoka can be selfish to. We all know that she loves everyone and everything equally, but you... you are special to her, Homura. And I know she is the same to you." Mami bows lightly and turns around with another wink. "I'll leave you be for now. I need to make sure that Kyouko hasn't decided to eat all the food in my absence. I hope to see you at the celebration!"

Homura watches as she waves, before hurriedly walking away, no doubt truly worried about Kyouko and the bottomless pit that she calls her stomach.

She shakes her head, but there's a smile on her lips as she heads back inside.

\\

As she sifts the flour into another bowl, hands snake around her waist, and there's that familiar warmth as a body slides up against her.

"Welcome back, Madoka," Homura tells her as she glances behind her briefly, before continuing with her task.

"I'm back, Homura-chan," Madoka murmurs softly into her ear. "Mm... Homura-chan smells like strawberries..."

"Are you sure it's not the bowl of strawberries nearby?" Homura counters dryly. "Or the strawberry cakes surrounding us...?"

Madoka smiles to herself, face pressing against Homura's neck. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. You know how they say each person has their own individual scent? Homura-chan's is strawberry... Mm..." Her eyes open, and she grins. "I bet you taste like strawberries too, Homura-chan..."

Hands gripping the metal sifter pause. She turns to meet Madoka halfway as she leans in close, lips pressing against lips. Madoka takes the lead, deepening the kiss. When she finally pulls away, they're breathless and like always, Homura's glasses are crooked and her face is flushed.

"...Well?" Homura asks curiously, readjusting her glasses.

Madoka licks her lips. "Mm... I was close... you still taste sweet, but... chocolatey."

Homura smiles, and gestures towards one of the counters lined with cakes that are missing slices: her trial batches.

"Help yourself to a slice. I would get it for you, but..."

Madoka places one last kiss on her neck, before she steps away. "No need, Homura-chan, I know you're busy."

She eagerly makes her way towards the cakes and her eyes rove around, trying to figure out which one looks the most appealing at the moment.

"Which one should I eat, Homura-chan?"

"Hm?" Homura turns to her, and stares at the cakes briefly. "The one in the 3rd row, the 7th from the right. You haven't had that one in a while."

Madoka counts the plates and points at a 3 layered cake that is coloured brown, pink and white and covered with chocolate icing.

"This one?" she asks, waiting for Homura's confirmation.

"Mmhmm," Homura agrees, attention turning back to the flour once she sees Madoka lifting the correct cake.

Madoka carefully extracts a slice, and places it on a nearby plate that Homura had most likely used earlier to taste test her food.

"What's this one called?" she asks curiously, cutting a small piece with her fork.

"Neapolitan."

Madoka thinks for a moment. "No wonder it looks familiar. This is one of the first cakes you made." She takes a bite, letting the three flavours mesh on her tongue. Her eyes light up at the rich yet not too overbearing taste. "MMm... Homura-chan, why did you stop making this? I remember really liking this."

"Yes, and I did make it quite a bit," Homura comments without turning around. "People starting complaining though, if you remember. Since you only eat a slice, at most, with every batch, it was always up to the other girls to finish it... They wrote you a very polite yet firm letter, if I recall..."

"Ehehe," Madoka gives Homura a sheepish smile. "I do kind of remember that."

"I still have the letter, if you'd like to see," Homura offers.

Madoka sticks out her tongue. "Mm... but it's been a while since I've really seen you baking this much," Madoka points out as she turns around to grab another slice. "Kind of reminds me of when we first came here."

Homura is quiet, absorbed in her mixing. Madoka finishes her second slice just as quickly, placing the plate back down onto the counter when she's done.

She watches Homura for a moment.

"You should've used the master kitchen instead. It's much bigger," Madoka tells her as she once again attaches herself to Homura's back. "I was there earlier. Everyone was having fun prepping for the celebration."

She leans forward and rests her chin on Homura's shoulder, watching as deft hands mix and stir.

"Hm."

Madoka closes her eyes, relishing in their shared warmth. "Are you going to go? It's turning into something amazing. I hear they're going to set up a fireworks competition."

"...Please tell me Sakura Kyouko is not in charge."

Madoka grins, eyes still closed. "It was Sayaka's idea actually. Maybe you should give them some pointers in mixing gunpowder? They might end up losing limbs. It won't hurt, but regrowing them is still rather unpleasant..."

Her hands slip under Homura's apron, running up her sides and the other girl jumps slightly at the touch.

"What's wrong, Homura-chan?" Madoka teases as her hands gently glide up and down; she knows that Homura is plenty ticklish and her thin dress hardly provides any protection. Her grin widens.

"M-Madoka," Homura shudders and tries to pull away. "I-I'm a bit busy—!" she yelps and almost ends up spilling her bowl of sifted flour if it weren't for her quick reflexes.

She turns around, giving Madoka a rare frown.

"I'm sorry, Homura-chan," Madoka tells her and tries to placate her with a kiss on her neck. "Forgive me?"

Homura is unable to stay mad at Madoka and merely sighs.

"The—" Madoka cuts herself off.

Homura turns around fully and places a kiss to Madoka's lips. "Have a safe trip, Madoka."

"Mm," Madoka leans in again for another kiss, before she finally pulls away. "I'll be back, Homura-chan."

Another smile, and then she's gone.

Homura immediately misses the warmth, but she shakes her head to clear her thoughts.

She still has at least two more sets to make, and despite this being Heaven, these cakes definitely did not bake themselves.

/

As quietly as possible, she tiptoes into the room, eyes watching the sleeping figure carefully. When she's close enough and about to grab her, an arm shoots out and grabs her own, and she finds lavender eyes peering at her.

"Sakura Kyouko... what are you doing?" Homura lets go and sits up, immediately fixing her hair as per habit.

"Nothing," Kyouko tells her with a grin as she watches Homura for a moment. She seems tired—which is strange in itself, but she shrugs that away. "Today's the celebration."

"Hm." Homura still seems half asleep as she blinks owlishly at Kyouko. "And?"

"And I came to pick you up."

Homura stares at her blankly.

"You still asleep?" Kyouko asks as she snaps her fingers in front of Homura's face.

She flinches at the sound, and leans back to put some distance in between them.

"It's okay, Kyouko," Madoka says as she appears through the doorway. "I'll bring Homura-chan along after I wake her up."

Kyouko starts at Madoka's sudden entrance. If she knew she would be back so soon, she wouldn't have bothered to make the long trip here.

"Sure. See you two there," she tells her as she stands, thoughts already thinking about the piles of food being prepared outside.

Madoka nods and waves to her as she exits the room. A smile flits onto her face, and she turns back to Homura who is now rubbing her eyes tiredly.

She had barely made the deadline trying to finish all those cakes.

"I'm back, Homura-chan," Madoka says, immediately making her way over.

"...Welcome back, Madoka," Homura mumbles.

She suddenly finds Madoka leaning above her.

"Homura-chan?" Madoka presses herself closer, hands slowly trailing up Homura's leg.

"H-Hm?" Homura's eyes widen when Madoka leans in to kiss the side of her mouth. Distracted, she vaguely feels her glasses pulled off, and hears the clatter as they're discarded onto the table.

"Activate your magic for a bit..." Madoka tells her, voice low and breathless.

Wordlessly, Homura does as told.

When time clinks back, Madoka has a satisfied grin on her face.

"Are you awake now, Homura-chan?" she asks, sitting up to readjusts her dress.

Homura nods, brushing her hair back into place, before she straightend out her own clothes.

Madoka hands her her glasses and she slips them back on.

"Let's go, the others are waiting for us. I can't wait to try Mami's new dish... she's been on this Italian kick lately and I heard Kyouko teasing her earlier, calling it the new 'Tiro Finale.'" Madoka laughs lightly and even Homura smiles at the familiar phrase.

Madoka stands, offering a hand to Homura.

"Thank you, Madoka," Homura accepts her hand, and she's easily pulled up to her feet.

"I'm really excited about the fireworks!" Madoka tells her as she rushes them out of the room.

Homura makes a noncommittally noise of agreement, content on letting Madoka lead her to their destinatio**n.**

* * *

**whew. edited  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Rebellion-like mentions that are sort of like spoilers. Somewhat, but not really... I think... hm.

* * *

**L**ately, staying inside their room while waiting for Madoka has been leaving her restless. There's stirrings of previously dormant thoughts and memories in her mind, and those are pushed down even as her body itches to move around. To offset it, she has started taking long walks outside, in the private garden.

The garden, that she and Madoka claim as their own.

It had started out very simple: a small patch of land with a few flowers here and there.

Filled with common things that served as brief, colourful reminders.

Roses, and lilies, and orchids. Daisies, and dandelions, and recognizable things created on small whims.

Nostalgia for spring, had brought in a row of Cherry Blossom trees that are now in constant bloom.

And slowly, as this eternity became _home_, the small garden grew.

Sometimes, Madoka would return from her trips, a flower in her hand, or a smile on her lips.

And the garden she's currently walking in, is now a sprawling maze with interlocking pathways that blend and bleed into different seasons.

Today though.

Today is different.

She knows that Madoka is back; their connection extends as deep and as far as the worlds and timelines that Madoka can traverse.

A Goddess still has her duties however, and only when that is done, will Madoka finally come looking for her.

Today though, she is the one searching: Madoka is in the garden, she knows that.

But today, Madoka is calling for her.

Her footsteps are light as she crosses over the red bridge that arches across the lake. A glance to the side, and she can see that the surface of the water is covered with floating cherry blossoms, dyeing it with a soft pink. She watches as they slowly disappear, and like clockwork, more fall to take their place; it's an endless rain of cascading petals.

More walking, past the miniature zen garden, where one large rock is stacked in the middle, surrounded by fine, white sand with concise lines etched around it.

She'll try a new pattern soon.

But not today.

She continues onto the cobbled stone path lined with grey to rust coloured rocks, glazed to sparkle in the sunlight.

Spring is here, and if she follows this familiar walkway, the very end will lead to a large clearing. A place, where her own stage sits, where sometimes, the emotions she has buried deep within, are set free.

But today, is not one of those days.

She veers off, turning from the path made of stone to one made of compacted dirt. The surroundings here, slowly start heating up the further she ventures in.

Summer is here, where cosmos, sunflowers, and morning glories grow; the sight of them almost makes her nostalgic.

This is a section she rarely heads down, simply because she prefers the other seasons to this one.

But, she has a reason to head this way today, feeling that tug as Madoka calls out to her.

It takes a while, and she passes by a field filled with wild grown flowers that she can't place, until she finally finds her.

Sitting in front of a sizable cleared patch of dirt.

A pile of green, prickly, branch-like plants to one side.

Gardening tools, large dowels, and a few sheets of wood on the other.

Madoka turns around with a smile on her face, and a small trowel in her hands. "Homura-chan."

Homura nods in greeting, feet already moving to join her.

Once in front of her, she kneels and takes a seat.

"Welcome back, Madoka," she says, moving close.

Madoka's smile widens, as she leans into the kiss. "I'm back, Homura-chan."

Homura pulls away and glances around, eyes curious; it's the first time she has actually seen Madoka manually gardening.

"What are you doing?" she asks, watching as Madoka starts digging through the dirt once more.

"I'm building a home for them," she replies, hands still moving.

"Mm." Homura falls into silence, and there's only the sound of metal scratching into the ground.

After a moment, Madoka turns to her, smile still on her lips. "Are you just going to watch me the whole time?"

"Isn't that why you called me over?" Homura asks, tilting her head slightly.

Madoka grins, leaning close once more.

"Well, I don't really mind," she tells her when she eventually pulls away.

Homura nods, eyes flickering over to the strange, green plants. "Are they special?"

"You could say that."

Madoka's voice is tinged with something—and if Homura had been the same as when she had first arrived, it would've fueled her desire to do _something_.

Instead, she reaches for one of the tools and moves over, until she's sitting right next to Madoka.

"I'll help," she volunteers.

Another smile. "Thank you, Homura-chan."

/

It's slow progress, and they're not even a quarter done when Madoka is being called away.

Sensing her hesitance, Homura turns to her. "Did you want me to wait until you come back?"

"Mm." Madoka's no doubt calculating the time it'll take to get everything planted. "Hm, maybe..."

Homura knows what's she's thinking. "I'll wait. Have a safe trip, Madoka."

Another kiss. "Thank you, Homura-chan. I'll be back soon."

She nods, watching as Madoka vanishes.

When all that's left of her is her lingering presence and that timeless bond they share, Homura turns her attention to the strange plants.

Her hand reaches out, a finger extended as it gently pokes one of the many prickly spikes that surround it.

\

She's resting in a small gazebo further down when Madoka returns.

"Did you get sleepy?" Madoka teases, hands running through her hair as lavender opens to peer at her.

"It's nice and warm here," she replies, voice drowsy.

Madoka nods, leaning down for their usual greeting.

"Welcome back, Madoka."

"I'm back, Homura-chan."

Her eyes blink sleepily. "Did you want to join me?"

"Mm. It's tempting."

Homura holds out her arms.

"...How can I say no to that...?"

/

It takes them a while, until the dirt is prepped, to set up the supports, and to build the small structure for shade.

Homura stares, watching as Madoka gathers each plant in her bare hands. She carefully places them into the dirt, tying them to the upright wooden dowels for added support.

There's a whole row of them when she's done, and it's the strangest sight so far in this garden.

"What are these called, Madoka?" Homura asks.

Madoka smiles mysteriously. "It's a secret."

It's a surprising response, and Madoka grins, moving closer.

"Don't pout; you'll find out soon enough."

"...I'm not pouting," she insists.

A hand, covered in dirt, reaches to cup her face. "I promise, you'll find out soon."

There's something in Madoka's voice again, and this time, Homura nods. "I'll wait."

Another smile. "Thank you, Homura-chan."

\

Madoka is gone again, and after a brief check up on the strange plants in the garden, she's making her way towards the kitchens.

It's been a while since she has visited, and as long as she shows her face occasionally, the others leave her alone.

Relatively.

There's a chatter of voices the closer she gets, and the sight of her walking down the main hallway has some of the girls staring.

Lavender behind those red framed glasses of hers glances their way, and like always, they duck their heads, shy.

It's a strange reaction, and she has yet to get used to it, but the few that continue watching, their stares always makes her feel like she's on display.

It reminds her of those times when she walks with Madoka, except those are far worse; she has heard some of the rumors whispered through the grapevine.

She quickly increases her pace, heading through the doorway to the master kitchen once she's there.

Individual cooking stations are set up in rows here, reminiscent of cooking classes in school, or so she has heard from Madoka. Large shelves, stocked with anything and everything needed in a kitchen line one of the far walls.

Sinks are located in between each station, racks of spices and herbs on another wall, and a large walk-in refrigerator is located in the very back.

As always, the kitchen is bustling as many girls work together on prepping their meals. Those telltale sounds as knives hit the cutting board at a steady rhythm, dishware clattering, silverware clanging against ceramic.

In the midst of unfamiliar faces, she finally spots Mami in the crowd.

There's a large bowl in front of her, a knife in her hand as she works through various vegetables with ease.

Her usual smile is on her face, and her attention is half divided on the individual next to her. Homura doesn't remember her name, but her face is vaguely familiar.

She's heading towards Mami's station when the murmurs in the room slowly grow in volume: someone has noticed her entrance and that information is spreading like a wildfire down the rows.

Mami finally looks up when she hears that nickname whispered in the air. Her smile widens when she spots Homura walking towards her.

Her knife is lowered, and she quickly wipes her hands on a nearby dishcloth.

If Homura is disturbed by how the noises have suddenly cut off, she ignores it as she approaches Mami.

"Homura, what a pleasant surprise." Her smile is warm and friendly.

Homura nods. "Tomoe Mami." Her voice is quiet, but the cease in activity makes it seem louder than usual.

Mami sighs, even though the smile remains on her face. "When will you stop calling me that?"

Homura briefly glances away.

"Well, keep on working on that," Mami says, drawing back her attention. "Now, to what do we owe the presence of the Goddess's wife in our humble kitchens?"

The amused toned in Mami's voice has Homura sighing softly; she still can't really get used to that nickname.

"I'm just doing my rounds," she answers. "I was hoping Sakura Kyouko would be here as well."

"Ah," Mami smiles. "Kyouko is with the younger girls. I believe Sayaka may be helping her."

"I see."

Homura glances to the side, where she can see a few bolder girls starting to approach her.

Mami watches with amusement as one of them finally breaks away from the pack, stuttering and exchanging a few words with the infamous 'Goddess's wife.'

Soon, there are samples pressed into Homura's hands as they ask for her opinions on their dishes.

She has no idea why they seem so eager for her to try them, and why some of them squeal when she accepts their food.

But she humors them, stopping when her stomach is full.

"I apologize," she tells them, holding out a hand. "I'm afraid I'm at my limit."

There are a few gasps and more than a few grumbles.

Mami smiles, quickly coming to her rescue. "Now, now, girls. You know the Goddess's wife has a weak stomach." Homura sighs at this: another rumour. "You can wrap up your food, and she'll be able to eat them later."

They scramble to do so, already knowing that she will be leaving the kitchens soon.

Like always, there's boxes for her to take back.

Mami claps once. "Now, who would like to volunteer to help carry this over to the Goddess's room?"

Homura gives Mami a small nod, alerting her of her actions, before she slips away once the lottery starts to determine who will be the delivery girls.

She has no idea why she's so popular here, and it's not the first time she wonders how Madoka deals with it.

/

A relaxed pace through the hallways with her pointedly ignoring more whispers and stares. She's making her way towards the West Wing, where there are large rooms that are used both for classes and presentations.

These are the places that the younger girls usually occupied, sometimes learning, sometimes doing activities with the older girls.

Like the kitchens, there are the sounds of chattering voices the closer she gets, but it's louder, and the atmosphere is lot less subdued.

When she steps inside, there's a flurry of activity all around. Coloured paper, scissors, paint, even glitter is scattered on all the desks; they seem to be in the middle of making something.

She's searching for red or blue when there's a loud shout in front of her.

She blinks as a younger girl points.

"It's the Goddess's wife!"

Like in the kitchens, the noises suddenly stop, but this time, everyone quickly tries to hide what they're doing.

There's an arm thrown around her shoulder, and she jumps at the contact. She turns to face Kyouko, who gives her a grin; even after all this time, she still can't used to Kyouko's brashness.

"We're a bit busy today," Kyouko tells her, steering her towards the exit. "And, uhm. They're working on something. So... could you come back later?"

She should be offended, really, but she merely nods in acceptance; seems like everyone is holding a secret these days.

Kyouko pushes her out the entrance. She briefly glances back to see her waving.

She brightens, though it doesn't show on her face; she doesn't mind not having to spend time here.

\

She's in the gardens, staring at the strange plants when Madoka returns.

Arms slip around her waist as Madoka holds her close. "There's a bunch of food in our room. Did you visit the kitchens again?"

Homura nods, turning around to greet her. "Yes. Welcome back, Madoka."

Madoka presses a kiss to her lips. "I'm back, Homura-chan. There's no way we'll be able to eat all of that... You should be firmer with the girls."

Homura sighs, leaning against her. "I still don't understand why they want me to eat it... wouldn't it be better to offer the food to Sakura Kyouko...?"

Madoka grins. "Kyouko eats everything. She's... well, she's the equivalent of a garbage disposal; it means nothing since she'll eat food whether it's good or bad. Whereas you, my dear Homura-chan, rarely eat anything that's cooked by one of the other girls... Not to mention the fact that you're my wife. Imagine the bragging rights for that!"

Homura ignores the teasing lilt; Madoka really enjoys that nickname for her.

"...The younger ones were making something," Homura tells her, closing her eyes as she rests her head against Madoka's shoulder.

"Really? What were they making?"

"No idea," Homura mumbles. "They kicked me out before I could really look."

Madoka laughs. "They kicked you out?"

"Someone pointed to me, and everything stopped."

Another laugh. "That makes me curious. Makes me want to pay a visit."

"Mm."

"But, I already promised them I wouldn't."

Homura opens her eyes, pushing away slightly to look up at Madoka. "They told you to stay away?"

Madoka nods, a grin on her face. "Usually you voluntarily stay away, so I didn't think I needed to warn you."

"...Suspicious."

Madoka places a kiss to her forehead. "Don't pout."

"...I'm not pouting."

"Mmhmm." Madoka continues to hold her, eyes staring over her shoulder to the plants in front. "They seem to be doing very well," she says suddenly.

Not letting go, Homura turns slightly to glance over. The green, branch-like structures of the plant are starting to wrap around the dowels, following them as they grow upwards in a haphazard manner.

She's curious, and there's a large library filled with books she can browse through to figure out what they are.

But, she sticks to Madoka's wishes, and will wait for her.

"The continuous sunlight should make it bloom earlier," Madoka says softly. "It usually happens in the summer, so I hope I timed it correctly."

Homura stares; there are no flower buds as far as she can see.

Already sensing her confusion, Madoka smiles, pressing a kiss to her neck. "You'll see soon, Homura-chan."

She nods in acceptance.

"Alright, shall we return back to our room to eat?" Madoka asks. "Because, apparently, one of us has an appetite comparable to Kyouko's, and it's definitely not me."

Madoka moves her arms, until her hands are squeezing Homura's sides.

"Have you gained weight, Homura-chan?" she teases.

Homura twitches, moving quickly to grab her wrists.

Madoka dodges, and suddenly there's a devious grin on her face.

Sensing what's to come, Homura moves away. "Madoka... W-We should head back..."

"Mmhmm."

Homura slowly starts inching towards the pathway, eyes watching Madoka closely.

She sees her leg move, and Homura darts off with Madoka on her heels.

There's a brief moment, when she thinks she's in the clear, but Madoka suddenly sweeps past, tackling her in the process.

They tumble to the ground, kicking up dust and covering their dresses with dirt.

Madoka doesn't care though, and her hands reach down, fingers tickling Homura at her sides.

"M-Madoka!"

Madoka ignores her, grinning as they fill the garden with the sounds of their laughter.

It's the only time Madoka really hears Homura laughing so freely, and she's relentless with her attacks.

/

They're still lying in dirt, Madoka cuddling Homura close.

"I'm sorry, Homura-chan. I went a bit too far."

Homura sighs, wiping the tears from her face. "You... seem to resemble a demon more than an angel at times."

She coughs lightly, and Madoka's hands are immediately on her back, patting her in comfort.

Madoka pouts. "I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

Homura glances over, and there's no way she can stay mad at Madoka for too long.

She nods, Madoka brightening and leaning in for a kiss.

Hands slip around her waist, and she's pulled closer.

When they finally break free, Homura takes a moment to catch her breath.

"You're... still a demon though," she tells her.

Madoka pinches her side, eliciting a startled yelp.

"But... you're my demon...?"

Madoka grins, tugging her close.

\

Homura is in their room, lying by the table, and falling asleep when Madoka returns.

She glides in through the doorway with a smile on her lips. "I'm back, Homura-chan."

"...Welcome back, Madoka," Homura mumbles, not moving from her spot.

"Are you getting complacent, Homura-chan?" Madoka demands as she kneels in front of her.

Homura opens her eyes to see Madoka glaring—but the smile she's fighting down tells her otherwise.

"Maybe," she murmurs, eyes closing once more.

Madoka sighs, leaning down for a brief kiss, before she pulls away.

Homura hears the rustling of her dress, and she's almost asleep, when Madoka suddenly cuts into the silence.

"You ever think about having kids, Homura-chan?"

No reply.

"Homura-chan?"

A hand, shaking her awake.

"I know you heard me, Homura-chan."

One lone eye cracks open, and this time Madoka has a real frown on her face.

"Kids...?" Homura questions.

Madoka nods. "Kids. A little, mini Homura-chan running around..."

Her eyes close once more. "No, not really."

That same hand, a bit more forceful with her shaking this time. "Homura-chan."

She sighs, eyes opening as she reluctantly sits up. She grabs her glasses off the table, and slips them in place, before working to fix her hair as she thinks to Madoka's question.

"Kids...?" she asks once more.

Madoka nods. "Kids. Babies. Little, small people. You know, those things, when a man and a woman get together—"

Homura sighs, hands dropping into her lap. "I know what kids are, Madoka."

"You haven't answered my question."

"...What brought this on? Kids...?"

Madoka is looking to the side, an almost nostalgic expression on her face. "Nothing. I was just thinking... about things."

Homura stares. "I see... well..." She blinks. "Uhm. You're going to have to ask someone else to help you with that."

"Huh?" Madoka turns to her.

"Well... It's..." she gestures, cheeks slowly turning pink. "There's... We're both female, Madoka."

Madoka nods. "Yes. I am quite aware of that Homura-chan."

Homura raises an eyebrow, hand held out. "Uhm..."

Madoka grins. "Use your words, Homura-chan."

"T-There's... certain parts, kind of missing...?" she coughs out, averting her eyes.

Madoka is suddenly in front of her, leaning forward, and face very close. "...I'm a Goddess, Homura-chan," she says softly. "Something like that, can be easily taken care of..."

She grabs Homura's hand, who squeaks as Madoka starts pulling it downwards.

"M-Madoka!"

Madoka starts laughing with that devious grin on her face. "You should've seen your face, Homura-chan!"

Homura sighs, hands to her face as she tries to clear her blush. "You... You little demon..."

Madoka peppers her with kisses. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. You're so easy to tease, Homura-chan."

"Ugh..." she shakes her head.

"But... kids, Homura-chan. What do you think about them?"

Homura leans back. "Kids? I don't know. I didn't even like myself as a kid, I think."

Her admittance has Madoka reaching over to hug her close.

"They're... I might've thought they were cute, once. A long time ago. Maybe?"

Madoka presses a kiss to her cheek.

"Now... I'd imagine having kids would be the equivalent of raising a mini Sakura Kyouko combined with Miki Sayaka."

At Madoka's confused expression, Homura explains.

"Something annoying that eats a lot..."

Madoka grins. "You better not let them hear that."

Homura shrugs.

"Mm, but I'd imagine they'd be like a mini Homura-chan, too," Madoka adds in. "She'll be grumpy when things don't go her way."

Homura reaches for Madoka's hand. "She'd probably be as adorable as you," Madoka smiles, "...and be a little demon when you least expect it."

Madoka sticks out her tongue. "Kids..." she sighs out, that expression once more on her face. "A family..."

Homura watches her for a moment. "I'm, not sure what you're looking for Madoka, but, the younger girls here, aren't they more or less like your kids?"

Madoka blinks.

Homura nods. "They... they look up to you, and practically worship the ground you walk on. And you... treat them all very kindly; something I imagine what a mother would be like."

Madoka places a hand to Homura's cheek as she leans in close. "If I'm their mother, then you'd be their father," she tells her with a smile.

Homura tilts her head.

"The grumpy, strict, stoic father," Madoka clarifies.

"...If I recall correctly, your Papa was rather kind."

Madoka grins. "My family is a bit unconventional."

Homura nods. "Mine too."

Madoka sighs, and places a kiss on her lips. "Homura-chan..."

"It's fine. I don't really care. I don't even remember much anymore."

Madoka stares into her eyes, and something in her heart twists when she realizes that Homura's telling the truth.

She gently pushes Homura down.

"I love you," she tells her, gold staring down into lavender.

"Madoka...?"

"I love you," she repeats, almost fiercely.

Homura can only blankly stare. "Uhm. Me too... t-that...I—"

Lips press onto hers as hands slip around her waist.

"Mado—"

"Mm, you can stop using your words now, Homura-chan..."

/

Her thoughts are on tea and cupcakes as she steps through the doorway, door closing shut behind her.

Before she can head to the kitchen, a voice shouts out and she finally looks up to see Kyouko sitting by the table.

"There you are! Geez, it's seriously getting so much harder to find you! I went to your piano, but you weren't there either!" Kyouko grumbles, feet moving as she stands.

Homura turns away, continuing to her original destination. "Did you need something, Sakura Kyouko?"

Kyouko follows her into the kitchen. "Yeah, the kiddies want you to visit; they're upset you didn't come back!"

Homura pulls out a teacup and places it on the counter. "Would you like some tea?"

"Didn't you hear me?"

Her hands are shifting through the containers of tea leaves. "Cupcake?"

"...what kind?"

"Strawberry shortcake."

"...Sure."

\

Kyouko is eating her fifth one, when Sayaka storms in through the doorway.

She takes one look at Homura, who's calming sipping at her tea, and another look at Kyouko, who's stuffing her face, before she sighs.

"Why... are you two still here?" she demands loudly.

"Tea break," Homura replies, placing her cup down. She gestures to the plate of cupcakes. "Would you like one, Miki Sayaka?"

"No. Hurry up already! Some of the kids are starting to get upset!"

Homura stares at her. "I'm not sure what's happening."

Sayaka quickly strides over, clearing their distance as she raises her hand.

She smacks Kyouko on the back of her head. "You! Didn't you explain to her what's happening?"

Mid chew, Kyouko shakes her head. "Mno?"

Homura cuts into her cupcake with her fork. "She mentioned 'the kiddies wanted me to visit.'"

"...So, why are you still here?"

"Well," Homura brings the fork closer to her mouth, "the last time I visited, I was quickly kicked out; I didn't want to chance it again."

She takes a bite.

Sayaka sighs. "Yeah—that was... kind of a bad way to handle it. But, they want you to visit now. They need to ask you questions."

"Questions?"

Sayaka nods. "Yeah. About the Goddess."

Homura eyes her curiously. "...Why?"

Sayaka exchanges a glance with Kyouko, who shrugs. "Uh... well. You know how Madoka now kind of has this place mimicking the regular world, and how we kind of follow the calendar and stuff?"

Homura nods. "Yes. I helped her work on that."

"Right. Well... It's almost May," Sayaka tells her.

Her expectant look has Homura feeling like she should know the significance of that.

Instead, Homura ignores how her pulse jumps as she recalls something else, hand reaching for her tea to wash the feelings down.

"May...?" she asks, lowering her cup.

"Uh," Sayaka glances over to Kyouko, who shrugs again. "Yeah. May. You know... It's—"

"Homura-chan~"

Madoka enters the room, smiling wider when she sees Kyouko and Sayaka inside.

"Sayaka, Kyouko, what are you two doing here? Did you come to kidnap Homura-chan?" she asks, smile still on her lips.

"Uh..." Sayaka scratches the back of her head. "Actually, yes."

Madoka nods. "I have a few things I need to check on anyways. Homura-chan?"

She's finishing her cupcake and looks up. "Hm?"

"Where's my welcome back kiss?" Madoka pouts at her.

Homura glances over to Sayaka and Kyouko. "Uhm."

Sayaka sighs and quickly grabs Kyouko's arm. "Come on. Let's go outside and wait. And no, you can't have another cupcake! Do you know jealous those kids are going to be when they heard you ate something Homura made?" she hisses.

Kyouko still manages to grab one more, stuffing the pastry into her mouth as Sayaka pulls her outside.

"Why are you so shy, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks, throwing her arms around her. "You have to have heard some of the rumours they say about us, haven't you?"

Madoka leans closer.

"And, you know some of those rumours are actually true..."

Homura nods, meeting her halfway for their kiss. "Yes. But..." she glances down, cheeks lightly pink. "It's..."

"Hmm?" Madoka grins.

She sighs. "...Nothing."

"You shouldn't be so shy... I bet some of them wouldn't mind watching..." Madoka tells her.

Homura blushes.

"Well, considering how cute you are, I'm not really surprised." Another kiss. "Alright, I'll let you go now. I want to check on the plants."

"...They're doing well. I believe I saw a few buds starting to develop."

Madoka smiles. "Really? Good! I thought I might've messed up something when I extracted the roots, but I guess it worked out." Another kiss. "I'll let you go."

Homura tilts her head. "You keep saying that, yet you're still holding onto me, Madoka."

"...I know." Madoka sighs. "Alright." She reluctantly pulls away. "You better not be cheating on me with someone else!"

"That would be impossible. Although..." Homura averts her eyes. "I haven't been entirely truthful to you, Madoka."

"...What?"

"Before I met you... there was someone else."

There's a pause, as Madoka shifts through various memories, but she has no idea what Homura is talking about.

"What?" she repeats, a frown forming on her face.

Did she miss something somewhere?

Homura smiles, a hand reaching for Madoka's. "She was this really, really adorable girl. Kind of clumsy, but she had this incredible heart of gold. Until she made a wish, and became a little demon."

Madoka pinches her side and she yelps. "I was really worried there for a second!"

Homura's lips twitch, and she leans in.

At the last second, Madoka turns her head, pouting. "You're a little devil yourself at times, Homura-chan."

"I don't mind being a devil for you, Madoka," Homura replies.

When Madoka turns back to look at her, Homura surprises her with a kiss.

"I'm sure Sakura Kyouko and Miki Sayaka are tired of waiting. Welcome back, Madoka. And, have a safe trip."

Another preemptive kiss.

Madoka nods, smiling. "I'm back, Homura-chan."

/

She's fixing her hair in their bedroom when Madoka returns.

"I haven't seen that hairstyle on you in a long time," Madoka tells her. "You should wear it again."

"No, thank you," Homura responds, fingers finally managing to untie the knot on the ribbon. "Some of the younger girls were messing around. It's the only reason why they're like this."

Madoka watches as she pulls the ribbon out, braids untangling as Homura runs her fingers through her hair.

"They make you look so cute though," Madoka says after a moment. "And you still wear your glasses!"

Homura stares at her reflection, at the familiar thick red frames sitting on her face.

Her expression gives nothing away, but Madoka walks over, slipping her arms around her waist as both their reflections now stare back in the mirror.

"Homura-chan?"

Homura lifts her hand, fingertips gently brushing the reflective surface. "You are different here, Madoka," she murmurs. "You're older. Taller. Yet I'm still like this. The glasses... I thought they would make me look older. But—"

Madoka hugs her tighter. "I like them." She presses a kiss to her neck. "I'm back, Homura-chan. You've been lazy with your welcome back kisses lately. Are you getting tired of me?"

"...You know that is impossible, Madoka."

"Then you're just being lazy?" she pouts.

"...I'm happy, Madoka," Homura tells her, blinking back sudden tears. "I'm really happy—"

Madoka turns her around, pressing their foreheads together. "What's wrong, Homura-chan?"

She shakes her head, drawing in an unsteady breath. "Sometimes, when I wake up, and you're not there, I'm not sure if you're real or not. Is this real, Madoka?"

Hands on her face. "Look at me, Homura-chan."

Her vision is blurry, and there are tears pooled in front of her eyes. She blinks, a tear trailing down and Madoka wipes it away with her thumb.

"I'm here, Homura-chan. You're here. All of us are here."

Madoka reaches up, pulling off her glasses. Lavender stares at her, and she can see the uncertainty in those eyes. She presses kisses onto her eyelids, onto her cheeks.

"I'm here, Homura-chan," Madoka repeats, voice firm.

Homura nods, eyes closing. "You're here, Madoka..." she whispers. "You're real..."

Madoka reaffirms this, with the only way she knows how: she leans forward, capturing Homura's lips with her own.

"I'm real, Homura-chan," she says in between kisses. "I'm real."

She pulls away suddenly, eyes glancing over to the side.

"We're real, Homura-chan," she says, hands tugging her along.

\

She's sitting in front of those strange plants, staring, when Madoka rushes in, steps hurried.

"Homura-chan!"

Homura turns. "Welcome b—"

Madoka is suddenly on top of her, pressing desperate kisses to her lips. "I'm sorry, Homura-chan. I'm so sorry."

"Mado—"

"I didn't even notice the date—"

"Ma—"

"I didn't even realize it would affect you so much—

"Mado—

"It's—"

"Madoka!

They both stare at one another.

Homura reaches up, looping her arms around Madoka's neck, and pulls her down for a kiss. "Welcome back, Madoka."

"...I'm back, Homura-chan," she murmurs.

"Now, what's this about the date...?" Homura asks.

Madoka sighs. "It's... almost May, Homura-chan."

Homura ignores how her pulse quickens, and she turns away. "W-What about May, Madoka?"

Madoka stares at her. "...Don't hide from me, Homura-chan."

She doesn't reply, instead, she closes her eyes. "It'll pass. T-Tomorrow..." She draws in a shaky breath. "T-Tomorrow will happen, right, Madoka...?"

Her voice cracks, and Madoka holds her close.

"Of course it will, Homura-chan. Tomorrow, and the day after. And every day after that."

Homura nods, ignoring the impulse to gather her magic her hands; that same impulse that has been making her restless lately.

"Tomorrow," she whispers once more.

"Tomorrow," Madoka repeats, arms tightening.

They continue lying there, until Madoka finally pushes herself off Homura to look at her.

"Homura-chan...?"

"Yes, Madoka?"

"...Your memories. I can fix them. Change them."

Homura remains quiet, eyes open and staring off to the side.

"Homura-chan?"

She shakes her head, finally giving Madoka a smile. "No. It'll... it'll take a while for me to get used to this, but..."

"Are you sure? Maybe... we should get rid of the time—"

"Madoka." Homura reaches out, a hand placed onto Madoka's cheek. "I'll be fine. Maybe, this is what I need. Time... has already stopped for me, maybe it's about time it continues."

There's a smile at her small pun, but Madoka stares at her, noticing how Homura's hand is trembling against her face.

"But," Homura breathes out. "You'll... you'll be here, right, Madoka...?"

"Of course, Homura-chan."

Homura nods, closing her eyes. "Good. I'll be fine then," she whispers softly.

Wordlessly, Madoka lowers her head, resting it against Homura's chest. "You'll be fine, Homura-chan..."

/

The transition from April to May is as every bit as painful as she'd expect it to be; if she had remained back there, instead of following after Madoka, she would have eventually succumbed to insanity.

She has no doubts about that.

When Madoka is not here, she can no longer stay in their room; her tie to time makes her all too aware that it's May now, and as every day passes, her anxiety builds because her existence rests solely on that one repeated month.

Anything after, she doesn't know.

Her walks through the gardens are endless now; it's the only place not encumbered by the flow of sands as their own seasons take precedence over all else.

It doesn't mean that she doesn't feel the seconds tick by. The feeling is merely weaker here.

More than often, she's walking through Summer, her feet eventually leading her to those strange plants that are thriving under their watch.

There are numerous red coloured buds now, and Madoka's murmurs telling her how they will bloom soon has her at least waiting for something.

She's taking a nap in the gazebo once more, when she hears footsteps, and feels the vibrations as someone walks up the small steps leading into the structure.

Her eyes open, and the first thing entering her gaze are those familiar winged heels that are a permanent part of Madoka's outfit.

Her gaze slowly drifts upward, past the light pink stockings that disappear as pure white pools over it: Madoka's ridiculously long dress that is big enough to encompass the galaxy; or at least the stars contained within.

Lavender continues up, to the slim waist, but before her eyes can reach that exposed section of Madoka's skin, an amused voice drifts through her ears.

"Like what you see, Homura-chan?"

She blinks sleepily, moving her head, and suddenly Madoka is there, sitting in front of her, staring down.

"Am I dead, Madoka...?" Homura asks her.

A frown appears on Madoka's face. "Homura-chan?"

Homura closes her eyes. "It's the only reason someone as beautiful as you could be here, next to me."

Madoka's lip twitches in amusement. "Are you still sleeping?"

"Once," Homura continues, not answering her question, "I don't know why I remember, but I heard this joke once on television. 'Did it hurt?'"

Madoka smiles in confusion. "What?"

"'When you fell from heaven?'"

Madoka reaches over, laughing softly. "Homura-chan?"

Eyes still closed, Homura smiles. "The funny thing is... in religion, angels that fall from Heaven are demons."

Her eyes open and she can see that Madoka is trying to appear angry, but she's failing miserably.

"You," Madoka laughs. She sighs, smile still on her lips, leaning down as usual. "I'm back, Homura-chan."

Homura reaches up, arms placed around Madoka's neck to draw her close. "Welcome back, Madoka."

With a bit of coaxing, Madoka joins her on the gazebo floor, where they both stare at the wooden roof that provides shade against the harsh sunlight of Summer.

"The others are getting worried about you," Madoka tells her after a moment passes. "They can never find you."

Homura hums softly.

"There's... a celebration soon."

"...What's the occasion?"

Madoka holds her tighter. "For something that happens in May. They won't directly tell me what it is, but I'm pretty sure I know what it is."

"I see."

Madoka turns to her, lips pressing against her cheek. "Do you know what it is, Homura-chan?"

Lavender continues staring above. "...No."

May... has no meaning to her.

Neither do any of the other months.

Except for one.

"Mm." Madoka presses another kiss to the side of her head. "You'll... find out soon enough."

"...Just like the flowers?"

Madoka smiles, nodding. "Just like the flowers," she promises.

They lapse into silence, and Homura turns her head, resting hers against Madoka's. "Okay. I'll wait."

Hands tug her closer, Madoka holding her as she falls asleep.

\

Summer with its strange plants and various gazebos aren't her favourite places in the garden.

It's just places she tends to end her walks in.

Further, past Summer, is Autumn.

And sometimes, she's there, walking through the rows of maple and ginkgo trees; the multicoloured leaves drifting past her, like a red and yellow rain spilling across the sky.

She likes the soft crunch as dried leaves scatter under her light footsteps.

The leaves, like everything else here, are endless.

That repeated cycle, reminds her of herself: the brittle foliage cracking under the slightest pressure, only to disappear again to the tip tops once more.

It's how she feels like, these days: stable one moment, a fragile mess the next.

She's still waiting for those flowers to bloom though.

Something about them, how they fill Madoka's voice with _something_; she can only wait and see why.

Her hand reaches out, easily catching a red leaf in her palm.

The leaves falling are unlike the ones on the ground; her fingers close around it, but when they unfold, the leaf is still in one piece.

She turns her hand, watching as red slowly drifts down.

A moment later, it disappears, no doubt joining the others to flutter about once more.

/

She can't say she's deliberately avoiding them, but she's definitely not making it any easier for them to find her.

She knows Madoka is giving them hints: sometimes she notices footprints placed onto the soft ground, recognizing them to be Sayaka's or Kyouko's.

They haven't caught her yet, and she hopes to keep it that way.

At least, until she can finally face them again.

Just in case, she's in a different gazebo today.

Lying down, her long hair pooled around her, glasses discarded nearby.

Madoka is searching for her, and she can feel her disappointment when she's not in her usual spot.

"Are you hiding from me too, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks as soon as she appears.

Her arm is covering her eyes. "...No."

Madoka takes a seat besides her. "...I'm sorry, they just want to help. I'll tell them to stop searching for you."

She finally moves her arm, lavender staring into gold. "...Join me?"

Madoka smiles. "Sure."

She lies down with her, holding her close.

Madoka runs her hands through her hair. "Homura-chan..."

"Hm...?"

"They're... having a meeting, soon..."

"...About...?"

"Some of them heard about what's happening to you," Madoka tells her softly. "They're going to take a majority vote, to determine if they want to keep time in place."

Homura remains quiet. "...Why?" she eventually asks.

Madoka hugs her tighter. "Everyone's... starting to get worried."

"...Why?"

"Homura-chan." Madoka's voice is suddenly hard, and she knows she has upset her.

"...I'm sorry, Madoka."

It's only been a week into May, but Homura seems so much more worse.

"Why... are you doing this to yourself?" Madoka asks, voice quiet, tinged with sadness.

Something Homura hasn't heard in a while; how long though, she's not sure.

She doesn't reply.

"Homura-chan... please." Madoka is begging.

Homura turns to her, arms pulling her close. "...Welcome back, Madoka."

Madoka leans in, and Homura finally looks at her when she realizes that Madoka is crying.

"Madoka...? What's wrong?"

"How... how am I supposed to believe that my wish was right? When all I see is you falling apart in front of me?"

"Madoka...?"

Madoka reaches over, burying her face in Homura's neck. "You're supposed to be here for me, Homura-chan! You're supposed to be happy, that you're with me! Instead, you're here, always hiding in the gardens. And I can't stay with you—because I have my duties to fulfill! Do you know how hard it is for me? When I'm always so far away, and how it always feels like one day I'm going to return, and you'll be _gone_?" she whispers.

Homura's mask cracks slightly, and she tightens her hold. "I'm sorry, Madoka." She places a kiss on the side of Madoka's head. "I'm sorry. I'll try harder, I promise."

Madoka pulls away, and Homura can see the tears staining her cheeks.

The sight is so familiar—that she's suddenly reminded of 'Kaname Madoka.'

Something untwists in her heart; she realizes that just because it's May, it doesn't mean she has no purpose.

This Goddess in front of her... no matter her powers, no matter the time, is still the same girl buried beneath all the smoke and mirrors.

"I'm sorry," Homura apologizes once more, reaching out a hand to Madoka's cheek. She wipes the tears away, before she leans in close, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry, Madoka. I'm not going anywhere."

Madoka sniffles, staring hard into lavender. "You promise?"

"Yes," Homura nods. "I promise."

Gold locks onto hers. "...Show me. Show me how much you mean it."

Homura stares at her for a brief moment, before she nods. "...Alright."

\

"The flowers are blooming soon, Homura-chan," Madoka tells her, hands moving to trace lazy circles against her stomach.

Homura shifts, turning her head to face her. "...Before, or after the celebration?"

Madoka's hand pauses. "Before. Did you figure it out...?"

Homura shakes her head. "No." She reaches over, grasping Madoka's hand to pull it close. "Truthfully, I can't really remember anything before I met you. Most of the memories I have, they're all linked to you." She kisses her wrist. "But that's okay. I don't mind."

Madoka wraps her arms around her. "Homura-chan... I..."

They both feel it, that tug.

Homura smiles, placing a gentle kiss to Madoka's cheek. "Have a safe trip, Madoka. I'll be waiting for you to return."

A hesitant nod, followed by an even more desperate kiss. "I'll be back soon, Homura-chan."

She remains lying there as Madoka fades away.

"I love you, Madoka..."

/

She's in the kitchens, bowls lined up around her; numerous sets of eyes watching as she tries to ignore their gaze.

She's making cakes, but she has no idea what she's baking for.

Mami is next to her, helping with the preparations, and Kyouko has already been scolded for dipping into the mix; Sayaka had been forced to drag her outside to help with the decorations instead.

She's used to quiet when she's in their private kitchen, but the muted atmosphere surrounding her here makes her tense.

There's a sudden shatter to the silence: someone has dropped a dish nearby. The one she's holding slips from her hands as she jumps.

"You should be more careful, Homura-chan," Madoka tells her, smile on her lips as she balances the bowl expertly in her palm.

Homura blinks in surprise. "Madoka. Welcome back."

Madoka nods as she places the bowl onto the counter. She then leans forward for their usual greeting.

Homura glances at her, before her eyes flicker around; she's pretty sure she heard more than a few gasps.

"Homura-chan...?"

She turns back, to see Madoka frowning at her, still leaning forward expectantly. "M-Madoka—"

"I'm waiting, Homura-chan."

"T-The—"

Madoka pouts. "Homura-chan."

Homura leans forward, placing a brief kiss on her lips, already moving away before Madoka can reciprocate.

Madoka, however, grabs her, bringing her back for a deeper, and definitely more passionate kiss.

Madoka is smiling when she finally lets go, leaving a dazed Homura to stare at her.

"A little service for everyone," Madoka tells her with a wink, hands moving to fix Homura's glasses back into place.

The loud whispers around them only makes Homura blush even harder.

She ends up finishing the rest of the cakes in their private kitchen.

\

It's rare for her to go outside, and she's only here, atop the large hill that overlooks their large structure, because gunpowder is not allowed inside.

An enforced rule, because someone had nearly destroyed an entire wing of the building with their carelessness.

If she had to guess, she has no doubts that Sayaka or Kyouko was a part of that.

Regardless, she's sitting on the grass, barrels of black gunpowder and other chemicals and minerals surrounding her. She's helping with the fireworks, making her own batches that will be used in the celebration for tomorrow.

She's not the only one here, but something about the smell, and the familiar materials, places her into a different time frame.

She's distracted and the movements are so ingrained that the shell she's working on ends up with too much gunpowder: she has pretty much made a giant bomb.

She stares at it blankly.

Eventually, she merely sets it aside and starts working on another one.

There are two piles next to her when she hears a familiar voice.

"Yo, Homura!"

She turns, and Kyouko and Sayaka are climbing the hill, hands carrying multiple bags. There are other girls following after them, hands full as well.

She nods in greeting, and turns back to her work.

"Here, this is yours," Sayaka says as she shoves something under her nose.

Homura glances down: it's a bentou.

Her hands are caked in gunpowder, and she looks up to see Sayaka gesturing to the box.

She reaches over, grabbing Sayaka's white cape, smearing blackened fingerprints on the fabric with just a light touch.

"Hey!" Sayaka slaps her hand away and steps back. One hand still holding the bentou, her other hand reaches for her cape, turning it around to survey the damage.

Kyouko cackles loudly off to the side; she's handing off dinner to the other girls, but she had a clear view from where she's standing.

Sayaka glares.

Homura ignores her, eyes flickering down to her own white dress.

Surprisingly, or maybe not, considering how careful she is, it's still clean.

"Geez," Sayaka shakes her head. She sighs and offers her cape.

There's a wolf whistle, and Sayaka shoots Kyouko another glare as laughter echoes around.

Her hands are still smeared grey with lingering residue, but she ignores it as she digs into her bentou.

It's a familiar taste, filled with things that could've been her favourite foods.

Someone joins her, sitting to her side.

"Mami made that, by the way," Kyouko tells her as she cracks open her own bentou.

Homura nods. She recognizes her cooking still.

They eat in companionable silence for a moment, but that is unfitting of Kyouko's character and with her usual manners, she points to the fireworks next to Homura with her chopsticks.

"Are those done?" Kyouko asks.

Mouth full, Homura nods.

"We need a few to test the mortar, mind if we use some?"

Homura shakes her head.

"Cool."

As always, Kyouko finishes her food first, and she's clambering to her feet when Homura's not even halfway done.

She watches as Kyouko plucks one shell each from the two piles.

"I'll bring these over," Kyouko says. "Let's see how yours turned out."

There's a challenge in her voice, but Homura shrugs and continues eating.

She's full when Madoka appears next to her.

She turns to face her. "Welcome back, Madoka."

Madoka grins as she takes a seat. "I'm back, Homura-chan."

She ignores her embarrassment, knowing Madoka will make things worse, and gives her a normal kiss.

Madoka smiles. "You're getting used to public display."

Homura shakes her head. "I'm getting used to you."

She offers Madoka a piece of karaage with her chopsticks.

"Well, that's good enough," Madoka says.

She opens her mouth, letting Homura feed her the rest of her bentou.

"Mm, that was pretty good," Madoka tells her when there's no more food left.

Homura looks around. "There's more bentous somewhere."

Madoka waves her away. "I'm okay for now."

There's the sound of a whistle, and everyone turns as the darkened sky lights up as a shower of sparks rain down.

"Test run?" Madoka asks even as she eagerly waits for the next one.

"Mmhmm..."

Madoka leans in close as they watch the sky continue to fill with different designs; some very simple, some arranged into patterns or shapes.

"Are any of those yours, Homura-chan?" Madoka asks, eyes glowing as a flower blooms overhead.

"Not yet," she answers, evaluating the pictures in her mind. "Knowing Sakura Kyouko, mine will most likely be last."

Madoka smiles as a lopsided happy face appears. "What did you make, Homura-chan?"

"... A bomb."

Madoka glances over. "What?"

She points to one of the piles. "Sakura Kyouko took one from each pile. Those... I accidentally mixed in too much gunpowder. Those are bombs."

Madoka grins and places a kiss to her cheek. "And you didn't warn her?"

"I was eating."

"There's two piles though, Homura-chan."

Homura nods.

"...You're not going to tell me, are you?"

She shakes her head.

Madoka sighs, once again leaning against her. "How about a hint?"

"You'll know it when you see it."

The fireworks continue, with duds and broken patterns mixed in with others.

"That wasn't it, was it?" Madoka asks as a complicated design disappears.

Homura shakes her head. "You will know."

Madoka pouts, turning to face her when another whistle sounds as another shell is launched.

Two overlapping hearts appear, pink and purple, surrounded by white sparkles.

Madoka smiles, watching until they fade away. "I love you too, Homura-chan."

Homura turns to her, mouth opening. "I—"

Another whistle, and there's a loud boom echoing as the sky suddenly burns.

Everyone stares in shock at the giant explosion that leaves a cloud of billowing smoke hanging in the air.

Madoka though, starts laughing. "Homura-chan!"

Homura presses her face against Madoka's shoulder, hiding her own smile.

When Kyouko and Sayaka rush over, they're covered in ash and the tips of their clothes and hair are singed.

Madoka takes one look at them, and laughs even harder.

/

She's sleeping in the gazebo, the night sky surrounding her, when Madoka drops in, placing soft kisses to her face to wake her.

Her eyes slowly open as the blurry vision of pink stares down.

Madoka is ready, slipping her glasses onto her face. "Wake up, Homura-chan," she murmurs. "They're just about ready to bloom."

Homura shifts, and as is always the case after she wakes, her body is heavy, and her mind is still half asleep.

Madoka easily lifts her into her arms, stumbling a bit as she makes her way down the stairs. Once on solid ground, her steps are steady as they make their way to the designated plot of land.

Homura leans against her, eyes closing as Madoka navigates through the moonlit path.

"Almost there," Madoka whispers into her ear. "Don't fall back asleep, Homura-chan."

Those words make her force her eyes open.

Soon, they're there, in front of those strange plants that have grown since that day.

They flow together now, a giant mess of green brambles spilling across the land.

The wooden dowels are no longer visible around them, and they're starting to overflow beyond the small shelter Madoka had built.

But, scattered around the prickly vines, are numerous and now large, red coloured buds, lined with a strange white fuzz.

Madoka lowers her to the blanket already laid out, and Homura sits up as Madoka joins her side.

"Madoka...?"

Madoka turns to her with a smile, golden eyes shining. "Hm?"

"...Welcome back," Homura says, leaning forward to kiss her.

"I'm back, Homura-chan," Madoka whispers.

She leans her head against Homura's, facing the plants once more.

"Once a year, they bloom at night," Madoka explains. "For only a few hours, withering before the sun rises..."

There's a light fragrance in the air; like jasmine mixed with gentle vanilla, maybe a bit of sweet cocoa.

Madoka tightens her arm around Homura's waist. Homura turns, just in time to see one of the buds opening.

Madoka smiles. "These... are Mama's favourite flower."

A small intake of breath as a vague memory hits her; Homura finally remembers the significance of the date. "Madoka...?"

"You know," Madoka tells her, voice wavering as emotions start overflowing. "When I was younger, one year, I saved up my allowance for months. It meant no extra snacks after school... which was really hard for a little kid, but... the day before Mother's day, I went to the florist all by myself, and bought this huge bouquet with all my money. I was really shy back then, too, but... I was really, really proud when I managed to go through with it."

Madoka laughs softly as Homura hugs her closer.

"It was a bit early, but when Mama came home that day, I couldn't wait and I gave them to her."

She sighs, swallowing to keep her tears in check.

"She smiled at me," Madoka continues, sniffling softly. "She smiled, accepted them, and then she put them aside. I asked her if she liked them, and she picked me up, hugging me close. And she told me, 'Madoka, of course I love them. Anything from you, Mama will always love.' I was happy, of course, but then, Mama set me on the kitchen counter, and she looked at me sternly, and asked me how much I had spent."

Another laugh.

"I started crying when I thought I was in trouble for buying her flowers; I couldn't understand why she was upset. But she told me..." her voice cracks and Homura reaches over, wiping her tears away with her fingertips. "She told me, 'More than flowers, and more than anything you can buy, Madoka, the best gift for any Mama is seeing their kids grow up. Growing up to become the best person they can be.'"

Madoka gathers her face in her hands, sobbing.

"I-I'm... a horrible daughter," she gasps out. "I-I took that away from her."

Homura grasps Madoka's hands in her own. "Madoka. Madoka, look at me?"

Another sniffle, and when she lifts her head, Homura can see her slightly swollen eyes and tear stained face; this is not the Goddess Madoka in front of her.

This is, Kaname Madoka.

Homura smiles softly, pulling Madoka's hands close to place gentle kisses on her fingers. "Do you really think your Mama would really think that, Madoka?"

"H-Homura-chan...?"

Homura gestures around them. "Look where we're at, Madoka. In a place, created for those who had no other means of salvation. You've helped so many girls... You've helped me. How could your Mama be less than proud of you, for what you have done?"

"But—"

"I've met her, Madoka. I've met Kaname Junko plenty of times. Enough to know that the Mama that raised you, loves you very much. Even if she doesn't remember you, even if you no longer exist by her side, a part of you is still there with her; a part of her is still here, with _you_. And I can assure you, she still loves you very, very much."

Homura watches as Madoka's lips tremble as more tears threaten to spill.

"Do you regret making your wish, Madoka?" Homura asks her softly.

Madoka blinks, tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Are you happy here, Madoka?"

It's a question Homura had asked her once, and this time, Madoka wavers on her answer.

"...I don't know," she replies. "I... I thought everything would be okay," she swallows back the tears, "as long as you were here with me, Homura-chan. But lately... lately you... you haven't been here."

Homura closes her eyes. "I know. I'm sorry, Madoka."

Madoka shakes her head. "No... It's... It's understandable, Homura-chan."

Homura opens her eyes and leans forward, pressing their foreheads together. "I'm really sorry, Madoka."

More tears as Madoka takes in an unsteady breath. "I-It's just hard... you know? Lately, it feels like I'm getting lost in my mind... There's... so many things in there, and sometimes, it takes a bit longer for me to remember who I am. Who I used to be. I feel like... I'm slowly losing myself to this place... How long, until I finally forget...? I love everything, everyone equally. It's... you're the only one who really remembers me, Homura-chan."

Another tear trails down that Homura quickly wipes it away.

"How long until I forget that I love you most...?"

"That's okay, Madoka."

"W-What?"

She looks up, to see Homura smiling at her. "You can forget. You can forget who you are. I'll always be right here, reminding you."

"H-Homura-chan...?"

Homura closes her eyes. "I understand now, why, even after all this time, all my memories are of you, and only you." Lavender opens to stare into gold. "We complete each other. You remind me of who I am. And I am here, to remind you of who you are."

Madoka smiles, a light blush on her cheeks. "You... still say embarrassing things at times, Homura-chan."

Homura nods. "Because Madoka is stubborn, and won't believe me unless I say things like that."

Madoka grins, moving to hug her. "I love you, Homura-chan. More than anything else."

"...I love you too, Madoka."

Madoka glances at her in surprise, and Homura kisses her.

"I love you," Homura repeats.

They both smile and turn to the flowers that are slowly starting to open up.

Madoka sighs, pressing herself close to Homura. "These plants... I planted them because I was starting to forget her... I thought, if I'd see them, if they're physically here, every time I look at them, they'd remind me of Mama."

"Do they?"

Madoka smiles. "Not really. I—knew what kind of flowers Mama liked. But I have never actually seen them before. Anything minus the flowers—it's not much to look at; it doesn't even really fit the rest of the garden. But, that's why Mama liked them so much. 'Beautiful woman under the moon.' Just the name alone, reminds me of her though."

Almost all the buds are open now—the large elegant white flower contrasting against the mess of prickly branches.

Homura turns to her. "Madoka."

"Hmm?"

"We could make your own world."

Madoka faces her. "What?"

Homura nods. "We'll get everyone here, and populate them into another world, similar to the one back there. You can kidnap your family, and your friends, and whoever else, and you can live your life, being 'Kaname Madoka.'"

Madoka stares, before leaning in close. "Oh, yeah? And where will you be, Homura-chan?"

"I will be the ruler, of course. If this is Heaven, then that will be Hell. And I will be the Devil ruling over it."

Madoka smiles and presses a kiss to her lips. "You want to kidnap my family and make me live in Hell, Homura-chan...?"

Homura nods. "Yes. It will be my own rebellion against the laws of the world; despair, and sadness have no place in Hell."

Madoka grins. "Mm... I think you're mixing up a few things there, Homura-chan."

"We could make it happen."

Madoka's eyes search her face, and it takes her a moment when she realizes that Homura is serious. "Homura-chan?"

"You could be happy there, Madoka. Growing up, growing old, with your family. You—"

Madoka cuts her off, kissing her roughly.

"Ma—"

"Mm, less words, Homura-chan..." She pushes her down onto the blanket.

"Mado—"

"If," Madoka's hands are on Homura's shoulders, keeping her in place, "if I'm there, living my life, and you're the ruler, you'd be all alone."

"I don't mind," Homura tells her. "Not for you."

Madoka leans in, hands trailing down. "You don't... but I do... If... If we make another world, I'd want to be there, ruling together with you."

"Mado—"

"A Demon, and a Devil," Madoka whispers, pressing their lips close. "That... doesn't sound bad at al**l."**

* * *

**AN: **Happy Mother's Day, in a _very_ round about way.


End file.
